Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

908 PICTURA. PICTURA.
others, inll which the illustrations are drawn with a and Euphranor in painting cannlOt have been incare, precision, and uniformity of character quite ferior in style to that of their sculpture; nor can
foreign to the paintings on the vases. They all Eupompus have been an inferior critic in his own
appear to be drawn rather according to common art than in that of Lysippus. TVe have besides the
and perfect standards of the different styles, than testimony of nearly all the Greek and Roman
to be the faithful imitations of distinct original writers of every period, who in general speak more
designs. Plates 25 and 26 of the first volume of frequently and in higher terms of painting than of
NIaissonneuve, purporting to be faithful imitations sculpture. " Si quid generis istius modi me deof the design upon the celebrated Nola vase, lectat, pictura delectat," says Cicero (ad tam. vii.
(in the Museum at Naples, No. 1846,) repre- 23).
senting a scene from the destruction of Troy, bear The occasional errors in perspective, detected in
hut little resemblance to the original. This remark some of the architectural decorations in Pompeii,
is applicable also to the work of D'Hancarville and have been assumed as evidence that the Greek
other earlier productions, but in a less degree. painters generally were deficient in perspective.
Perhaps the work which illustrates most faithfully This conclusion by no means follows, and is entirely
the style of the designs upon ancient vases, as far confilted by the mosaic of the battle of Issus, in
as it goes, is that in course of publication by which the perspective is admirable; in many other
Gerhard (Azuserlesenze Grieclischze Vacsenbilder, Ber- works also of minor importance the perspective has
lin 1839). The specimens also of ancient paintings, been carefully attended to. We know, moreover,
published by Raoul-Rochette (Peintu-es Antiques), that the Greeks were acquainted with perspective
have every appearance of being faithful imitations at a very early period; for Vitruvius (vii. praef.)
of the originals. says, that when Aeschylus was exhibiting trageX. Resmaizss of Asnciesnt Paintin7g. There is a dies at Athens, Agatharchus made a scene, and left
general prejudice against the opinion that the a treatise upon it. By the assistance of this, Depainting of the Greeks equalled their sculpture; mocritus and Anaxagoras wrote upon the same
and the earlier discoveries of the remains of ancient subject. (See Dict. of Biog. art. Agaltharchus.)
paintings at Pompeii and Herculaneum tended This class of painting was termed scenography
rather to increase this prejudice than to correct it. (tc-rvoypaopa) by the Greeks, and appears to have
The style of the paintings discovered in these cities been sometimes practised by architects. Cleiswas condemned both by Pliny and Vitruvius, and thenes of Eretria is mentioned as architect and
yet almost every species of merit may be discovered scenograph (ex-ryoTypd7os). (Diog. ii. 125.) Sein them. What therefore must have been the pro- rapion, Eudorus, and others, were celebrated as
ductions which the ancients themselves esteemed scene-painters. (Plin. H. N. xxxv. 37. 40.) Scenetheir immortal works, and which singly were esti- painting was not perhaps generally practised until
mated equal to the wealth of cities? (Plin. H. NA after the time of Aeschylus, for Aristotle (Poet. 4)
xxxv. 32.) attributes its introduction to Sophocles.
These remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum in- The most valable and the most considerable of
duced Sir Joshua Reynolds to form a decided the ancient paintings, that have been yet discovered,
opinion upon ancient painting. He remarks (Notes are: -The so-called Aldobrandini Marriage, Nozze
to Fresns. 37), "From the various ancient paint- Aldobrandine, originally the property of the Aldoings which have come down to us we may form a brandini family, which was found on the Esquiline
judgment with tolerable accuracy of the excellencies Mount during the pontificate of Clement VIII.,
and the defects of the arts amongst the ancients. Ippolito Aldobrandini, and was placed by Pills
There can be no doubt but that the same correct- VII. in the Vatican; this painting, which is on
ness of design was required from the painter as stucco and contains ten rather small figures in three
from the sculptor; and if what has happened in groups, is a work of considerable merit in composithe case of sculpture, had likewise happened in re- tion, drawing, and colour, and is executed with
gard to their paintings, and we had the good great freedom (Bdttiger and Meyer, Die Aldofortune to possess what the ancients themselves brandiisiscse Hoclzeit, Dresden 1810); and the
esteemed their masterpieces, I have no doubt but following paintings of the Museo Borbonico at
we should find their figures as correctly drawn as Naples, which are conspicuous for freedom of exethe Laocoon, and probably coloured like Titian." cution and general technical excellence: the two
This opinion has been further confirmed by later Nereids found in Stabiae, Nos. 561 and 562, Cat.;
discoveries at Pompeii; especially by the great Telephus nourished by the roe, &c., from Hercumosaic of the Casa del Fauno discovered in 1831, laneum, No. 495; Chiron and Achilles, also from
supposed to repr;sent the battle of Issus. (AMosaic, Herculaneum, No. 730; Briseis delivered to the
No. XV.) But the beauty of ancient sculpture heralds of Agamemnon, from Pompeii (Sir W.
alone is itself a powerful advocate in favour of this Gell, Pomzpeiana, pl. 39 and 40), No. 684; and
opinion; for when art has once attained such a the nine Funambuli or Rope-dancers, which are
degree of excellence as the Greek sculpture evinces, executed with remarkable skill and facility. (Mus.
it is evident that nothing mediocre or even inferior Borb., Ant. d'Ercol., and Zahn contain engravings
could be tolerated. The principles, which guide from these works; for facsimiles of ancient paintthe practice of both arts, are in design and proper- ilgs, see "l tecueil de Peintures antiques, imitdes
tion the same; and the style of design in painting fidelement pour les couleurs et pour le trait,
cannot have been inferior to that of sculpture. d'aprhs lcs desseiis colorids faits par P. S. Bartoli,"
Several of the most celebrated ancient artists were &c. Paris 1757, folio.)
both sculptors and painters; Pheidias and Eu. XI. Period of Development. -Essential Style.
phranor were both; Zeuxis and Protogenes were With Polygnotuls of Thasos (B. c. 463) painting
both modellers; Polygnotus devoted some atten- was fully developed in all the essential principles
tion to statuary; and Lysippus consulted Eupom- of imitation, and was established as an independent
pus upon style in sculpture. The design of Pheidias art in practice. The works of Polygnotus were