DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9059#0292
KSXKII.
273
of black smoke, show a careful and delicate
workmanship and a purity of form which at first
sight one is surprised to meet with in a temple
of this period. The fact is, architecture did not
follow engraving and sculpture in their rapid
downfall. Indeed, whilst almost from the advent
of the Ptolemies engraving and sculpture had
begun to decline, as if the Greeks could not
accommodate themselves to the conventionalities
and somewhat unnatural forms with which tra-
dition had trammelled both arts, architecture,
on the contrary, received a fresh impetus and
gained materially in freedom of style. Although
the principle of monolithic architraves was not to
be given up at once, so as to allow of the space
between the columns being widened, yet the
column itself became more graceful and rose
more boldly to the ceiling; and it was especially
in the decoration of the capitals that the im-
provement was felt. Doubtless the lovely group
of full-blown lotus of which the capitals of the
columns at Philae, for instance, afford such
striking examples, is already in bud at Medinet-
Abou and at Karnak. But these ancient forms
Avere modified and modernized under the Greeks,
and new ones created. In short, the Greeks
273
of black smoke, show a careful and delicate
workmanship and a purity of form which at first
sight one is surprised to meet with in a temple
of this period. The fact is, architecture did not
follow engraving and sculpture in their rapid
downfall. Indeed, whilst almost from the advent
of the Ptolemies engraving and sculpture had
begun to decline, as if the Greeks could not
accommodate themselves to the conventionalities
and somewhat unnatural forms with which tra-
dition had trammelled both arts, architecture,
on the contrary, received a fresh impetus and
gained materially in freedom of style. Although
the principle of monolithic architraves was not to
be given up at once, so as to allow of the space
between the columns being widened, yet the
column itself became more graceful and rose
more boldly to the ceiling; and it was especially
in the decoration of the capitals that the im-
provement was felt. Doubtless the lovely group
of full-blown lotus of which the capitals of the
columns at Philae, for instance, afford such
striking examples, is already in bud at Medinet-
Abou and at Karnak. But these ancient forms
Avere modified and modernized under the Greeks,
and new ones created. In short, the Greeks