He painted many gods, heroes, and allegories, with
muchgracefulness, as Pliny puts it. It shows meander, wave, and other designs, and
is called the geometrical style. The color was arbitrary,not natural, and there was
little perspective, light-and-shade, orrelief. This may be seen in anyof the
battle-pieces of Rameses II. Light-and-shade was certainly employed inthe figure,
but not in any modern way. The painters of this school advanced upon the work of
Apollodorus asregards realistic effect.
The British, Berlin, and Paris collections are
perhaps as complete as any. The king was the state in Egypt, and inAssyria the
monarch was even more dominant and absolute.
Misery andsqualor, with intellectual blackness,
succeeded. ETRUSCAN PAINTING: Painting in Etruria has not a great deal ofinterest
for us just here.
That they modelled in strongrelief is more
questionable. None of this intermediate art holds much rank byvirtue of its inherent
worth.
Thus painting assumed a more
decorativenature.
What was worse, it copiedthe degeneracy of Greece
by following the degenerate Hellenisticpaintings. These outline drawings were not
realistic in any exact sense. After that date the figures werebetter, though short
and squat. At the time and after Alexander Greekinfluence held sway. ART REMAINS:
Persian painting is something about which little is known because little
remains.
The military life ofthe Empire had begun to give
way to the monastic and feudal life ofthe Church.
It was the lastreflection of Mesopotamian
splendor.
It did not differ indesign from the bas-reliefs or
the tile mosaics. Thesubjects related to the Trojan War and the adventures of
Ulysses. Light-and-shade was certainly employed inthe figure, but not in any modern
way. ART REMAINS: Persian painting is something about which little is known because
little remains.
Again themotives seem trifling, but again advancing
technical power is shown. There was no greatdemonstration of religion by form and
color, as in Egypt.
The king was the state in Egypt, and inAssyria the
monarch was even more dominant and absolute.
Light-and-shade was certainly employed inthe
figure, but not in any modern way. PHOENICIAN, CYPRIOTE, AND ASIA MINOR PAINTING.
These outline drawings were not realistic in any exact sense.
EXTANT REMAINS: There are few wall or panel
pictures of Greek times in existence. They knew the outlineswell, and drew them with
force and grace.
It shows meander, wave, and other designs, and is
called the geometrical style.
He painted many gods, heroes, and allegories, with
muchgracefulness, as Pliny puts it.
But the Roman world,with all its classicism and
learning, was dying. There wasno attempt to place objects in the setting which they
hold in nature.