DOI article:
Essay I: The provice, aim, and methos of the stuy of classical archaeology
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11444#0054
34 ESSAYS ON THE ART OF PHEIDIAS. [i.
becomes his style. If this method is clung to too severely, this
habit may arise from early want of freedom, the conventionality
of the early stages of art; if it is of a very peculiar and con-
spicuous nature and is clung to in its sameness irrespective of
its propriety in a definite instance, it becomes mannerism. But
even the artists who are equally far removed from incompetent
conventionality or affected mannerism have all a recognisable
individual way of transferring the forms of nature into clay,
marble, or bronze. Then, after careful study of these details of
style, the archaeologist will have to look among the well-
identified monuments for the same style; rather, indeed, he
ought to have them firmly fixed in his head and in his eye
beforehand from what we have called above his general study of
archaeology. He must compare it also with the same style
and subject in kindred works of art: if a statue, for instance, he
will have to search for analogous cases in coins and vases and
terra cottas and gems. Then too he must examine the material
itself, the particular kind of marble or of clay or of bronze, which
will often afford him more or less helpful indications of origin.
In the special schools of classical archaeology in the univer-
sities this method will have to be transfused into the sticcum et
sanguinem of the student, not only by means of lectures, but
also by practical 'laboratory' work and experiment. The
archaeological ' laboratory' ought, in its ideal state, to comprise
a great mass of material. It ought to contain: The archaeo-
logical publications with plates ; architectural, geographical, and
topographical charts and diagrams; a full set of important
photographs ; electrotype series of coins ; impressions of gems ;
above all, a complete museum of important casts, not only of
sculpture, but also of representative types of architecture, and
also several striking types of Egyptian, Assyrian, Phoenician,
and even modern work, to show the distinctive features
of each. These casts should be so mounted that they can
readily be moved, so that subjects that are to be compared may
be placed side by side. There should also be casts of fragments
of nude figures and of drapery, which are to be identified by the
student and for which a corresponding work is to be found by
comparison. Such an archaeological laboratory should also
contain a collection of pieces of marble representative of the
becomes his style. If this method is clung to too severely, this
habit may arise from early want of freedom, the conventionality
of the early stages of art; if it is of a very peculiar and con-
spicuous nature and is clung to in its sameness irrespective of
its propriety in a definite instance, it becomes mannerism. But
even the artists who are equally far removed from incompetent
conventionality or affected mannerism have all a recognisable
individual way of transferring the forms of nature into clay,
marble, or bronze. Then, after careful study of these details of
style, the archaeologist will have to look among the well-
identified monuments for the same style; rather, indeed, he
ought to have them firmly fixed in his head and in his eye
beforehand from what we have called above his general study of
archaeology. He must compare it also with the same style
and subject in kindred works of art: if a statue, for instance, he
will have to search for analogous cases in coins and vases and
terra cottas and gems. Then too he must examine the material
itself, the particular kind of marble or of clay or of bronze, which
will often afford him more or less helpful indications of origin.
In the special schools of classical archaeology in the univer-
sities this method will have to be transfused into the sticcum et
sanguinem of the student, not only by means of lectures, but
also by practical 'laboratory' work and experiment. The
archaeological ' laboratory' ought, in its ideal state, to comprise
a great mass of material. It ought to contain: The archaeo-
logical publications with plates ; architectural, geographical, and
topographical charts and diagrams; a full set of important
photographs ; electrotype series of coins ; impressions of gems ;
above all, a complete museum of important casts, not only of
sculpture, but also of representative types of architecture, and
also several striking types of Egyptian, Assyrian, Phoenician,
and even modern work, to show the distinctive features
of each. These casts should be so mounted that they can
readily be moved, so that subjects that are to be compared may
be placed side by side. There should also be casts of fragments
of nude figures and of drapery, which are to be identified by the
student and for which a corresponding work is to be found by
comparison. Such an archaeological laboratory should also
contain a collection of pieces of marble representative of the