DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61301#0340
302
STUDIES IN GREEK ART.
scene of the whole battle—agony and pathos here rise to
their utmost height. Athene seizes a young giant by
the hair and drags him on in her progress. She holds
no spear, only a shield for defence; her Gorgon is on her
breast, and her sacred attendant serpent has coiled itself
about the giant’s two arms and bites his breast. He is
dying; he seeks to free himself and tear away with his
right arm the clutching hand of the goddess ; but his
arm has no power left—it is about to fall with slack
muscles. It is just a passing, momentary triumph to
the goddess; she strides swiftly on, and to meet her
comes the winged Nike to crown her with the garland of
victory. From the earth rises a pathetic figure visible
scarcely to the waist, her name written by her side-
GE, the earth-mother. She is come to plead for her
vanquished sons. The eyes and brow—all that is left us
of her face—are drawn with anguish. In her right hand
is her cornucopia, symbol of plenty, and in the full figure
and luxuriant hair this same thought of the fruitful,
abundant earth is expressed. Probably the coming of
Nike and the rising of GE are intended to indicate that
here we have the last act of the drama. The rising of
GE is no new motive invented by the Pergamene artist,
we find the half figure rising from the earth on vases of
the fourth century.
Such being the subject of the slab, let us note some
details of technique. As a composition, it must be owned
STUDIES IN GREEK ART.
scene of the whole battle—agony and pathos here rise to
their utmost height. Athene seizes a young giant by
the hair and drags him on in her progress. She holds
no spear, only a shield for defence; her Gorgon is on her
breast, and her sacred attendant serpent has coiled itself
about the giant’s two arms and bites his breast. He is
dying; he seeks to free himself and tear away with his
right arm the clutching hand of the goddess ; but his
arm has no power left—it is about to fall with slack
muscles. It is just a passing, momentary triumph to
the goddess; she strides swiftly on, and to meet her
comes the winged Nike to crown her with the garland of
victory. From the earth rises a pathetic figure visible
scarcely to the waist, her name written by her side-
GE, the earth-mother. She is come to plead for her
vanquished sons. The eyes and brow—all that is left us
of her face—are drawn with anguish. In her right hand
is her cornucopia, symbol of plenty, and in the full figure
and luxuriant hair this same thought of the fruitful,
abundant earth is expressed. Probably the coming of
Nike and the rising of GE are intended to indicate that
here we have the last act of the drama. The rising of
GE is no new motive invented by the Pergamene artist,
we find the half figure rising from the earth on vases of
the fourth century.
Such being the subject of the slab, let us note some
details of technique. As a composition, it must be owned