DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5253#0439
ACROTERIA FOUND ON DELOS. 405
fused, and lacks the exquisite grace and limpid simplicity of the Attic style.
The whole statue seems more pictorial than sculptural; and without detracting
from Paionios' merit in compelling marble so gracefully to do his bidding, still,
when compared with the Parthenon statues, we feel that a keener sense of the
truly beautiful and appropriate in marble inspired the Attic masters. Com-
paring, however, Paionios' Nike with a Nike found on Delos, and with a larger
fragment of another figure from the same island, as well as with the floating,
leaping Nereids of that great funereal monument found at Xanthos in Lykia,
and now in the British Museum, we find a striking relationship. Not only in
the repeated motive of holding the drapery, but also in its transparency, its dry
treatment of the surface, and general pictorial character, is there great affinity
between this work of the Ionian Paionios, the monuments of Ionian Delos,
and those of Lykia, which probably felt the influence of the art of the neigh-
boring Ionia. Whether Paionios actually came under the influence of Phei-
dias, we do not know ; but the affinities of his statue point away from, rather
than to, Athens ; and it is possible that he only drew his inspiration from
the same source as did the Athenians, — namely, from the older Ionian head
waters.
Passing now to consider the art of the islands during this period, we know
that many great men were drawn thence into the stream of activity at Athens,
there to work with Pheidias. Thus, Agoracritos and others were from Paros,
and Alcamenes from Lemnos; but, of the works on the islands themselves, we
as yet know very little. Happily, however, recent discoveries on Delos have
begun to throw light on the works of this time, and also to widen our range of
vision with regard to them. On Delos, where archaic Ionian art, as we have
seen, collected so many gifts in marble to the gods, several fragments of a
developed style have been discovered, which at first sight seemed to belong to
the pediments of a temple.?/6 Of these fragments, one group was found at the
west front of a small temple adjoining the one to Apollo, and the other at its
east front. Furtwangler, during a short stay at Delos, perceived still other
fragments belonging with them, and succeeded in proving that we have parts
of the crowning acroteria of both ends of the ancient temple. Contrary to all
preconceptions, these were much larger than acroteria of temples of the great
time had been supposed to be. Such large groups have hitherto been con-
sidered creations of the Roman age, which exaggerated every thing it touched.
But these beautiful fragments from Delos show with what taste large groups
were applied by the Greeks to the summits of their temples, and make it
probable that to the Romans must be charged only the vicious addition of
figures to the slopes."77
The central acroteria from Delos consisted of fragments, which, according
to Furtwangler's proposed restoration, made up two beautiful, excited groups,
similar in subject and treatment, but so agreeably varied that every trace of
fused, and lacks the exquisite grace and limpid simplicity of the Attic style.
The whole statue seems more pictorial than sculptural; and without detracting
from Paionios' merit in compelling marble so gracefully to do his bidding, still,
when compared with the Parthenon statues, we feel that a keener sense of the
truly beautiful and appropriate in marble inspired the Attic masters. Com-
paring, however, Paionios' Nike with a Nike found on Delos, and with a larger
fragment of another figure from the same island, as well as with the floating,
leaping Nereids of that great funereal monument found at Xanthos in Lykia,
and now in the British Museum, we find a striking relationship. Not only in
the repeated motive of holding the drapery, but also in its transparency, its dry
treatment of the surface, and general pictorial character, is there great affinity
between this work of the Ionian Paionios, the monuments of Ionian Delos,
and those of Lykia, which probably felt the influence of the art of the neigh-
boring Ionia. Whether Paionios actually came under the influence of Phei-
dias, we do not know ; but the affinities of his statue point away from, rather
than to, Athens ; and it is possible that he only drew his inspiration from
the same source as did the Athenians, — namely, from the older Ionian head
waters.
Passing now to consider the art of the islands during this period, we know
that many great men were drawn thence into the stream of activity at Athens,
there to work with Pheidias. Thus, Agoracritos and others were from Paros,
and Alcamenes from Lemnos; but, of the works on the islands themselves, we
as yet know very little. Happily, however, recent discoveries on Delos have
begun to throw light on the works of this time, and also to widen our range of
vision with regard to them. On Delos, where archaic Ionian art, as we have
seen, collected so many gifts in marble to the gods, several fragments of a
developed style have been discovered, which at first sight seemed to belong to
the pediments of a temple.?/6 Of these fragments, one group was found at the
west front of a small temple adjoining the one to Apollo, and the other at its
east front. Furtwangler, during a short stay at Delos, perceived still other
fragments belonging with them, and succeeded in proving that we have parts
of the crowning acroteria of both ends of the ancient temple. Contrary to all
preconceptions, these were much larger than acroteria of temples of the great
time had been supposed to be. Such large groups have hitherto been con-
sidered creations of the Roman age, which exaggerated every thing it touched.
But these beautiful fragments from Delos show with what taste large groups
were applied by the Greeks to the summits of their temples, and make it
probable that to the Romans must be charged only the vicious addition of
figures to the slopes."77
The central acroteria from Delos consisted of fragments, which, according
to Furtwangler's proposed restoration, made up two beautiful, excited groups,
similar in subject and treatment, but so agreeably varied that every trace of