DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5253#0314
MANY ARCHAIC BRONZES NOT ETRUSCAN. 281
so frequently consecrated to deity by pious worshippers of antiquity. The
left hand with its symbol, which would give us a key to its name and office,
is, alas! now gone. The gesture of the other hand is like that of the cane-
p/toros above described, and is worthy of notice. On old vase-paintings, Aph-
rodite, unlike the stern Athena, appears continually thus playing with her
garment. On the handle of a mirror, in the British Museum, where she is
accompanied by Eros, she raises her robe, as does this statuette. But other
goddesses of archaic style also have this gesture, as seen in the figures found
in Athens and on Delos, as well as in one with lions, perhaps Kybele, from a
mirror-handle in the British Museum. As we have seen in Phillo's figure, it
is not a gesture confined to goddesses, but shared by mortals. Its frequent
recurrence in so many old works seems to suggest a movement taken from life
of lifting trailing garments. This attitude came to be applied to statuary by
artists who at first used it indiscriminately for different goddesses. In time it
doubtless gained a special religious significance, and as such was adopted by
the Romans to characterize their goddess Spes. In the exquisite face of this
statuette in the British Museum ; in its form, no longer buried, but hesitatingly
reflected, by the quaint, regular drapery, bordered by a meander of inlaid silver
and enamel,—the artist has produced a work which, although of inferior size,
is great in art. How delicate his taste in representing the eyes! Our pre-
possession is not in favor of the inlaid eyes, said to have been commonly used
in ancient Greek masterpieces. We suspect that they must have given a pain-
fully lifelike, expression ; and so we prefer the dark, cavernous sockets, which
we are accustomed to see, despoiled of their gems. But how tender and gentle
the expression of life lent to this face by the sparkle of the diamonds ! Instead
of imitating the natural eye in its details, our artist has simply lodged a point
of light in the dark silver eyeball. In view of such works, in which we still
feel the bands binding the artist, but through them his striving to attain the
beautiful, our admiration may well be enkindled.
That this work, so full of the Greek spirit, should have come from Verona,
whither it may have floated in trade from the neighboring Etruria, should not
surprise us; since a figure very like it, but wearing shorter garments, was found
in the latter country.5°4 There is much reason to believe, in consequence of
comparisons made by modern study, that such fine archaic bronzes were
not of Etruscan manufacture, but were imported from the Greek colonies in
Southern Italy, and probably also from the corresponding cities in their parent-
lands, whence came, as already seen, even so great a master as Pythagoras of
Samos. To this family of archaic bronzes of grand style from Italy, but far
too noble to be of Etruscan origin, must belong such works as the famous
Chimasra in Florence, and the splendid Cortona lamp, full of the early Ionian
spirit despite their Etruscan inscriptions, which were doubtless scratched in
afterwards. 5°5
so frequently consecrated to deity by pious worshippers of antiquity. The
left hand with its symbol, which would give us a key to its name and office,
is, alas! now gone. The gesture of the other hand is like that of the cane-
p/toros above described, and is worthy of notice. On old vase-paintings, Aph-
rodite, unlike the stern Athena, appears continually thus playing with her
garment. On the handle of a mirror, in the British Museum, where she is
accompanied by Eros, she raises her robe, as does this statuette. But other
goddesses of archaic style also have this gesture, as seen in the figures found
in Athens and on Delos, as well as in one with lions, perhaps Kybele, from a
mirror-handle in the British Museum. As we have seen in Phillo's figure, it
is not a gesture confined to goddesses, but shared by mortals. Its frequent
recurrence in so many old works seems to suggest a movement taken from life
of lifting trailing garments. This attitude came to be applied to statuary by
artists who at first used it indiscriminately for different goddesses. In time it
doubtless gained a special religious significance, and as such was adopted by
the Romans to characterize their goddess Spes. In the exquisite face of this
statuette in the British Museum ; in its form, no longer buried, but hesitatingly
reflected, by the quaint, regular drapery, bordered by a meander of inlaid silver
and enamel,—the artist has produced a work which, although of inferior size,
is great in art. How delicate his taste in representing the eyes! Our pre-
possession is not in favor of the inlaid eyes, said to have been commonly used
in ancient Greek masterpieces. We suspect that they must have given a pain-
fully lifelike, expression ; and so we prefer the dark, cavernous sockets, which
we are accustomed to see, despoiled of their gems. But how tender and gentle
the expression of life lent to this face by the sparkle of the diamonds ! Instead
of imitating the natural eye in its details, our artist has simply lodged a point
of light in the dark silver eyeball. In view of such works, in which we still
feel the bands binding the artist, but through them his striving to attain the
beautiful, our admiration may well be enkindled.
That this work, so full of the Greek spirit, should have come from Verona,
whither it may have floated in trade from the neighboring Etruria, should not
surprise us; since a figure very like it, but wearing shorter garments, was found
in the latter country.5°4 There is much reason to believe, in consequence of
comparisons made by modern study, that such fine archaic bronzes were
not of Etruscan manufacture, but were imported from the Greek colonies in
Southern Italy, and probably also from the corresponding cities in their parent-
lands, whence came, as already seen, even so great a master as Pythagoras of
Samos. To this family of archaic bronzes of grand style from Italy, but far
too noble to be of Etruscan origin, must belong such works as the famous
Chimasra in Florence, and the splendid Cortona lamp, full of the early Ionian
spirit despite their Etruscan inscriptions, which were doubtless scratched in
afterwards. 5°5