. A history of art in ancient Egypt . Fig. 85.—Seti I. striking prisoners of war with bis mace. Karnak, Thebes. (Champollion, PL 294.) richness. It suffers from the absence of that learned balancebetween plain and decorated surface which the Greeks understoodso thoroughly. In the Greek temples, sculptured figures had themore importance in that the eye of the spectator was drawnforcibly to them by the very limitation of the space reserved for. JSxilpis del el sc. KARNAKBAS RELIEFS IN THE GRANITE CHAMBERS Decoration. 125 them. They were cut from separate blocks of marble, which,though carefully
. A history of art in ancient Egypt . Fig. 85.—Seti I. striking prisoners of war with bis mace. Karnak, Thebes. (Champollion, PL 294.) richness. It suffers from the absence of that learned balancebetween plain and decorated surface which the Greeks understoodso thoroughly. In the Greek temples, sculptured figures had themore importance in that the eye of the spectator was drawnforcibly to them by the very limitation of the space reserved for. JSxilpis del el sc. KARNAKBAS RELIEFS IN THE GRANITE CHAMBERS Decoration. 125 them. They were cut from separate blocks of marble, which,though carefully and skilfully allied with the architecture whichthey were meant to adorn, did not form an integral part of figures ran no risk of being cut in two by the opening of thejoints between the stones. Although marvellously well adapted tothe places for which they were intended, and closely allied to thearchitecture by their subject as well as their material shape, theyyet preserved a life and individuality of their own. To takedecorative art as a whole, the Greeks did not make use of so manyfigures as the Egyptians, but they knew better how to economizethe sources of effect, and to preserve their works against thedestructive action of time. To Egypt, then, belongs the credit of having been the first todiscover the obligation imposed upon the architect by the sunlightof the south—to accentuate the main lines of his edifice by means
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1883
