DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5253#0233
CHAPTER XIII.
BEGINNINGS AND GROWTH OF SCULPTURE IN MARBLE DURING THE SIXTH
CENTURY B.C. (concluded).—GREECE AND SICILY.
Art in Crete and the Peloponnesos. — Traditional Art. —Rude Cretan Bronzes.—The Scholars of
Dipoinos and Skyllis. — Discoveries of Homolle. — Gitiadas. — Argos and Sikyon. — Argive Works
at Olympia. — Similar Works in Dodona and Etruria. — Apollo of Tenea. — Monuments from
Sparta. — Chrysapha Relief, etc. — Significance of these Sculptures.— Their Growth and Artistic
Features. — Attempts at Portraiture in Lakedaimonian Art. — Sculptures from Meligii, Selinus,
and Kythera. — Sculptures at Olympia. — Colossal Head of Hera. — Bronze Head of Zeus. — Fig-
ure of Zeus. — Treasury of Megara. — Its Primitive Style. — Archaic Art in Bceotia. — So-called
Apollo of Orchomenos. — Relief from Tanagra.— Significance of these Works. — Their Style and
Origin. — Foreign Influences in Attica. — Use of Foreign Stone. — Athena by Endoios. — Attic
Tomb-sculptures. — Marble Head of Athena from Acropolis. — The Attic Type. — Fragmentary
Statues from the Acropolis. — Sphinx from Spata. — Tombstone Figure from Athens. — Relief
from Themistocles' Wall. — Tombstones of Aristion and Lyseas. — Peculiarities of Attic Tomb-
reliefs.— Relief in advance of Statuary. — ^Egina. — Head from Saburoff Collection. — Art in
Sicily and Southern Italy.— Sculptures from Selinus. — General Characteristics of Art at this
time. — Influence of Contemporary Customs on the Artist.
Leaving the art of Asia Minor and the islands in the sixth century B.C., we
turn to that of Crete and its disciple, the Peloponnesos, for the same period.
Crete, the fabled home of Daidalos and the Telchines, had doubtless still a
flourishing art-life. Pausanias drops an obscure sentence about the fame of
the Cretans in executing xoana.32- The fact that two celebrated Cretan sculp-
tors, the brothers Dipoinos and Skyllis, now moved to the Peloponnesos, where
they worked, and gathered around them a large number of scholars, even from
distant Italy, shows conclusively the artistic importance of Crete during the
sixth century. According to Pliny, these men, whom tradition styled the sons
of Daidalos himself, took up their home in the Peloponnesos before Cyrus came
to the Persian throne ; and their date is consequently placed about 580 B.C., or
the opening of this century.323 The temples of Cleonai, Argos, and Sikyon, as
well as of far-off Ambrakia in Aitolia, were said to be full of their works ; and
a gilded bronze figure of Heracles from their hands was owned by the rich
Croesus of Lydia, and formed a part of the booty carried off by Cyrus when he
conquered that king in 541 B.C.324 The most of their works seem to have been
combinations of wood, ivory, and probably gold. In the temple of the Dioscuri,
at Argos, was seen an equestrian group of these demi-gods and their families,
BEGINNINGS AND GROWTH OF SCULPTURE IN MARBLE DURING THE SIXTH
CENTURY B.C. (concluded).—GREECE AND SICILY.
Art in Crete and the Peloponnesos. — Traditional Art. —Rude Cretan Bronzes.—The Scholars of
Dipoinos and Skyllis. — Discoveries of Homolle. — Gitiadas. — Argos and Sikyon. — Argive Works
at Olympia. — Similar Works in Dodona and Etruria. — Apollo of Tenea. — Monuments from
Sparta. — Chrysapha Relief, etc. — Significance of these Sculptures.— Their Growth and Artistic
Features. — Attempts at Portraiture in Lakedaimonian Art. — Sculptures from Meligii, Selinus,
and Kythera. — Sculptures at Olympia. — Colossal Head of Hera. — Bronze Head of Zeus. — Fig-
ure of Zeus. — Treasury of Megara. — Its Primitive Style. — Archaic Art in Bceotia. — So-called
Apollo of Orchomenos. — Relief from Tanagra.— Significance of these Works. — Their Style and
Origin. — Foreign Influences in Attica. — Use of Foreign Stone. — Athena by Endoios. — Attic
Tomb-sculptures. — Marble Head of Athena from Acropolis. — The Attic Type. — Fragmentary
Statues from the Acropolis. — Sphinx from Spata. — Tombstone Figure from Athens. — Relief
from Themistocles' Wall. — Tombstones of Aristion and Lyseas. — Peculiarities of Attic Tomb-
reliefs.— Relief in advance of Statuary. — ^Egina. — Head from Saburoff Collection. — Art in
Sicily and Southern Italy.— Sculptures from Selinus. — General Characteristics of Art at this
time. — Influence of Contemporary Customs on the Artist.
Leaving the art of Asia Minor and the islands in the sixth century B.C., we
turn to that of Crete and its disciple, the Peloponnesos, for the same period.
Crete, the fabled home of Daidalos and the Telchines, had doubtless still a
flourishing art-life. Pausanias drops an obscure sentence about the fame of
the Cretans in executing xoana.32- The fact that two celebrated Cretan sculp-
tors, the brothers Dipoinos and Skyllis, now moved to the Peloponnesos, where
they worked, and gathered around them a large number of scholars, even from
distant Italy, shows conclusively the artistic importance of Crete during the
sixth century. According to Pliny, these men, whom tradition styled the sons
of Daidalos himself, took up their home in the Peloponnesos before Cyrus came
to the Persian throne ; and their date is consequently placed about 580 B.C., or
the opening of this century.323 The temples of Cleonai, Argos, and Sikyon, as
well as of far-off Ambrakia in Aitolia, were said to be full of their works ; and
a gilded bronze figure of Heracles from their hands was owned by the rich
Croesus of Lydia, and formed a part of the booty carried off by Cyrus when he
conquered that king in 541 B.C.324 The most of their works seem to have been
combinations of wood, ivory, and probably gold. In the temple of the Dioscuri,
at Argos, was seen an equestrian group of these demi-gods and their families,