Their progress in the art of sculpture may be traced by the several gradations in the execution : at first the simple out line, cut very deep, succeeded by rude figures in very fiat relief, and ending in bold and perfect forms in alto relievo. Denon has given several valuable speci mens of their remainti, amongst which are a species of caryatides. or naked figures, standing erect, with their arms crossed on their breasts: these, however, are very little calculated to raise our opi nion of the merit of the artists who made them ; and, indeed, the only instances we recollect of correctness and propriety are the sphinx, and the enormous clench ed hand, now in the British Museum. Of the former, Denon speaks with enthu siasm: "I had only time to view the sphinx, which deserves to be drawn with a more scrupulous attention than has ever yet been bestowed upon it. Though its proportions are colossal, the outline is pure and graceful ; the expression of the head is mild, gracious, and tranquil ; the character is African ; but the mouth, the lips of which are thick, has a softness and delicacy of execution truly admirable ; it seems real life and flesh. Art must have been at a high pitch when this monument was executed: for, if the head wants what is called style, that is to say, the straight and bold lines, which give expression to the figures under which the Greeks have designated their deities, yet sufficient justice has been rendered to the fine simplicity and character of nature which is displayed in this figure." These observations corroborate what we have already advanced of the capabi lity of the Egyptians to execute, had their conceptions been equally correct ; hut as those were limited, their genius for excellent sculpture can only be col lected from detached objects; hence it is that we must look for elegance in their representations of animals, foliage, and flowers, which being admired by all, and not subject to the changes and varieties exhibited in the human frame and coun tenance, are more readily copied In this part of our pursuit we are again assisted by Denon, who has presented us with many traces of simplicity in the capitals of their pillars, some of which are of about the same degree of excellence with the best specimens of Saxon sculpture, and in some cases strongly remind us of the works of that people ; and it may be wor thy of observation, that the shape of the Egyptian capital differs very little from the Corinthian of the Greeks: one in par ticular might be supposed to be the work of the latter, as it is surrounded by a range of beautiful full-grown leaves of the palm, disposed as the acanthus leaf afterwards was; another. formed of a col lection of palm-stalks before the branches and leaves are fully developed, shows that a very little taste, added to the dis position, would have raised the repute.' tion of Egyptian sculpture to a level with that of their more polished imitatori, as there can be no doubt that they have af forded hints to the Greeks. The frieze of the great temple at Tentyra, also shnws. that the ideas of the Egyptians, when confined to objects intended mere ly for ornament, approached very near perfection ; in this instance the sculp tures of the wings of birds, variously and tastefully disposed, deserve the approba tion of the enlightened observer.
We must now turn our attention to the acknowledged masters of the sublime art of sculpture, the ancient Greeks, to whom every nation of the earth still pays a willing homage, and from whose matclilessworks each sculptor is happy to concentrate and improve his observations on the human figure, presented by them to his contem plation in its most graceful perfection.
Such, indeed, has been the excellence and correctness of their imitations of na ture, and the refined elegance of their taste, that many ages have elapsed, not one of which has afforded a single in stance of improvement, even in the dis position of their scrolls, or other fanciful ornaments.
As modelling figures in earth has been a practice for ages, previous to their sculpture in stone, it may he supposed that this was the original method of mak. ing isolated resemblances of men ; in deed, the facility with which alterations and improvements might be accomplish ed seems to point out the propriety of using that material before the art of cut ting stone was invented. Calisthenes, who was an Athenian, made a number of models, with which he adorned his resi dence ; hut it is of the sculptor, and not the modeller, that we are to treat at pre sent. Of the latter, we might mention a very considerable number, whose names have reached us with their works, were they necessary, and yet, compared with the statues distributed in every part of Europe, they are a very inconsiderable portion of the eminent men, who have flourished in the different states of Greece. When we contemplate the beautiful specimens of their consummate art, we are at a loss which most to ad mire, the softness and delicacy given to the marble, or the exquisite skill demon strated in every feature and muscle, which could only have been acquired by the most attentive observation of living sub jects, placed in each natural and easy atti tude. Had notthe people generally admir ed and respected the arts, so great at de gree of perfection would never have been attained ; for the operation of producing a fine figure requires a mind at ease, and the means of subsistence beyond the mere wants of the day ; it is therefore extremely probable, that those who em ployed statuaries to perpetuate the me mory of great men, and to honour their gods with their representations as votive to the numerous temples, made liberal remuneration, and it is to be hoped equal to the merit of the work.
The Romans were fidly sensible of the superior excellence of the Greeks in sculpture, and although we cannot ap prove of their motives in plundering them of their best works, yet we invo luntarily feel satisfied, that it is through their rapacity that we now possess those fascinating models for imitation, which has formed the taste of the Italian sculp tors, and excited that emulation, which enabled artists to rouse the public mind to a state of enthusiasm sufficiently pow. erfill to crowd churches and palaces with mementoes of the great and good Be sides this superior branch of the art, we are not less indebted to the ancient Gre cians for the invention and distribution of the most refined taste in the inferior parts of sculpture : under this head we need only remittal the reader of the grand con ceptions distributed from the base to the summit of Grecian buildings, in reliefs of various rich ornaments.
It appears almost superfluous to men tion the Laocoon, the Venus de Medicis, the Apollo Belvidere, the Meleager, the Antinnus, the Niobe, &c. &c. of the Gre cian school, as efforts never to be exceed ed, or perhaps equalled. Ilow does this fact exalt the character of the people thus favoured, and how does it humble the pride of the moderns! And yet the knowledge of infinite superiority attach ed to them should not depress the efforts of the student, but rather rouse him to increased exertion ; at all events recol lecting, that Phidias, Praxiteles, Agesan der. Poly dore, and Athenodorus, studied models far beyond the reach of perfect imitation, even the animated human form.