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LITERATURE.Torso. Kunst, Kunstler, und Kunstxcerke dtr AUen. (Torso. Art, Artists, and Artistic works of the Anciente). Von Adolf Stahr. Braunschweig, 1854.(Second N'Hlce.)To Dmdalus, that is, “the artist,” or, according to Dr. Stahr’s interpretation, to man, gifted witli the genius of art—tho Greeks attributed that progress in tho plastic art, which is marked by the difl’erence between the raw block of wood or stone with some fuint approach to a human likeness, and the sculptured figure, if ever so imperfect, with limbs free and life-like ami expressive of movement and action; and os Greek art, though at its birth connected with Oriental art, on assuming an independent Character, spread its dominion oyer the whole of the ancient world, so also we find Dndalius, its mythic representative in Greek tra. dition, wandering through ull the countries constituting that world, aud leaving in each, monuments of his heaven-born genius. Hephttatos and Pro-, mctheus, god aud demi-god, and even Deucalion, -Blip..created men out of stonos, appear likewise inGreciau tradition as the fathers of art, and indeed there was no branch of art among the Greeks ih.t did not boast of a divine or heroic originator : but m Dtedalus art appears in its most universal character; for as the vanoUB arts aro but rays of one and the wuno sun, so Dtedalus is represented as master of all, and as the mechanical nria and their kindred sciences form the golden soil whence springs art in its higher acceptation, so Dtedalus appears as handicraftsman, technologist and inventor, as well as uculpto- xid architect. He was not only the architect or tho temple of Britomartis. and the tuinous labyrinth of Minos, in the island of Crete, of the temples of Ap »llo, in Cuimc and Capua, and of one of the most beautiful forecourts of the temple of Ilffiphestoa, in Memphis, and tlio author 01 tnc most famous of tho ancient sculptured figures of the gods iu almost ail tiio cities of llcllaa; but he was likewise the inventor of the hatchet and the saw, the auger aud the stcel-yard, aud of ships’-masts and sails, by which ho made tho winds bu!-scrviout to tho purposes of man; and but little wus wanting W have made him the discoverer of steam power also, three thousand years before our era. In some way, indeed, his name is connected with steam, as he is said to havo been tho constructor of
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Weekly Chronicle
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Apr 21, 1855
Page 5
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