DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4670#0100
90 EGYPTIAN DECORATIVE ART
interest as showing in what a different
manner the Egyptian viewed his materials
from that of our standpoint. He stuccoed
and painted over his hard stone statues ;
it was enough for him to know that the
stone was hard and imperishable—he did
not need to see it always exposed. The
imitation of nature was the standpoint from
which he started, and he had no objection
to carry out that imitation with paint or
otherwise; our abstract standpoint of an
artistic effect which must never involve
falsity, but which may have little or nothing
to do with nature, was altogether outside
of his aesthetic.
interest as showing in what a different
manner the Egyptian viewed his materials
from that of our standpoint. He stuccoed
and painted over his hard stone statues ;
it was enough for him to know that the
stone was hard and imperishable—he did
not need to see it always exposed. The
imitation of nature was the standpoint from
which he started, and he had no objection
to carry out that imitation with paint or
otherwise; our abstract standpoint of an
artistic effect which must never involve
falsity, but which may have little or nothing
to do with nature, was altogether outside
of his aesthetic.