Ancient Art.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue III, 18 July 1903, Page 168

Ancient Art.

INTERESTING FORTHCOMING LECTURES BY PROFESSOR TUBBS, AUCKLAND. Auckland is decidedly fortunate in possessing as a citizen and a professor a man of such energy, attainments and hobbies as Professor Tubbs, who holds the chair of classics at the Auckland University College. Professoi’ Tubbs has devoted much of his strenuous and busy life to the intimate study of life and art amongst the Ancient Greeks and Roman®. Last year he delivered a most interesting series of lectures on ‘’Life in Greece,” from the earliest years of infancy to manhood or womanhood. This year the Professor has taken up ancient art, and will deliver a series of ten lectures on the “Art of ‘Mycenae’ Greece and Rome.” Over one hundred specially prepared slides, representing the artistic development of 2000 years, will be used. The majority of these are from negatives which are the exclusive property of the Hellenic Society of London. Some idea of the scope and absorbing interest of the lectures may be gathered from the following extracts from the syllabus:— LECTURE I. THE DAWN OF CIVILISATION.— Mediterranean Culture, and its Relation to Geographical Conditions —The Rich River-valleys. The Forerunners: (1) Egypt, (2) Chaldaea, (3) Phoenicia. Egypt: The Art of the Nile Valley—Its Triumphs and its Limitations. Typical Illustrations. Chaldaea: Its Artistic Conventions. Illustrated. Phoenicia: The “Prophet” of the Mediterranean—The Services, to Art, of the Inartistic—How Phoenicia Preserved the Taste for Colour, and Fulness of Design. Illustrations. LECTURE 11. “MYCENAE.” —The Enigma of Origins —What was “Mycenae?”—The Question as Between Europe and the East —The

Bronze Age in Europe—Did the East Civilise Europe, or Europe the East? How “Mycenae” Regained her Fame— Schliemann—Dorpfeld — Evans—Petrie. The Adjusting of the Balance. Characteristics of “Mycenaean” Art— The Famous Inlaid Swords —The “Lion Gate”—The Ceiling of Orchomenos—The Vaphio Cups—These, with other characteristic finds, described and illustrated. LECTURE HI. THE COMING OF THE HELLENE.— IV hat the Greek of History Did —Starts with the Handicap of Orientlism—but also with the Help of Process and Tools Discovered—What he Added of His Own —His Conception of Beauty—His Dealing with the Problem of Colour. Illustrations of Early Types and Schools of Greek Art, showing (a) The Influence of Past Tradition, and the Misleading Conventions of Orientalism; (b) The New Greek Spirit — Naturalness, Life, Anthropomorphism. LECTURE VT. THE ART DIVINE. — A City that ■Worshipped the Beauty of Goodness— Its Masterpiece, the “Parthenon” —General Description—Artistic Adornment. The Master of the Parthenon —- Pheidias and his Followers—How Painting had Shown the Way—The Failure of the Seed which Fell on Less Receptive Soil. LECTURE VIII. THE DAY OF PORTRAITURE.—Last Efforts of the Ideal School—How Greece dealt with the Individual —Portraiture: (1) Ideal; (2) from Life. Reaction Against the Ideal School — The Modified Realism of Lysippos —Recreation of “Physical” Art—New Canons of Beauty. _ t The Two Streams Unite — Lysippos’ Portrait of Alexander. LECTURE EX. THE ART OF HELLENISM.—Expansion of the Greek World —The Day of “Cities”—Art of the Studio —Cleverness Begins—Genre and the Farm-yard School —Fantasy and Romance —Alexandrinism, Ancient and Modern —The Appreciation of Michelagnolo—The Belvedere Torso —The Cinquecento. LECTURE X. THE AFTERMATH. —Pergamum—The Wonderful Second Bloom — Tours de Foree —- Rhodes -— Colossi — Refractory Materials —Polychrome Effects. False Smoothness — The Ease of Incapacity—The Several Stages of GraecoRoman Art, through Audacity to Superficial Softness, and a "Pre-Raffaelite” reaction to Archaism. The Lessons of Ancient Art, and its Spirit. What Message has it for us?