Page:History of Art in Primitive Greece - Mycenian Art Vol 2.djvu/225

 i83 Primitive Greece: Mvcenian Art. portray a goddess-mother, accompanied by a child that will continue the chain of life. The oldest apparently of these figures have legs set close to each other, and arms attached to the bust (Fig. 327). No attempt was made to outline the natural contour of the human figure ; the body is as flat as cardboard, and cut in the thinnest of marble slabs ; but the proportion of the several parts is fairly preserved, except that the statuettes always have a large and curiously-pointed head and unnaturally long neck. The rendering of the general contour of the form shows marked progress ; the back and lower portion of the body are slightly Fig. 330.— Idul of compacl while limtslone. lleigiil, o m., 15. From the neighbourhood of Sparta. indicated. Such pieces stand midway between work in the .round and bas-reliefs. These, however, look as If they had no background. As soon as the chisel acquired confidence in its own power, it set itself the task of separating the legs ; that this was not done without fear and trembling lest the marble should split is very apparent in Fig. 328. The lower limbs adhere to the ground, and this is seen between the legs and outside their external contour. With greater proficiency, the artisan ceased to think about a possible danger in this direction. Thus the legs of some of the funereal statuettes are wide apart, and their arms detached from the body (Fig. 329), It is already work in the round; we feel