Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 2.djvu/208

 I90 A History of Art in Sardinia and Judaea. the former place, and may have been due to the discrepancies alluded to in the last section. The general style and make which distinguish Pterian monu- ments are no less characteristic and distinct. They betray summary, rapid handling, rather than bold elaborate manipulation ; the articulations lack the precision, the surety of hand, which form so remarkable a feature in Assyrian sculpture. The modelling is of the simplest description ; but this we feel was due to want of technique, and not to subtle arrangement and refinement. As with the art of Assyria, here also the body was always covered, so that a general outline and apportioning of broad masses were alone aimed at ; but these are not wanting in truthfulness and fidelity. The absence of the stirring scenes of the chase or hot affrays may have been due to the destination of these bas-reliefs ; more particularly, however, to the unskilfulness of the sculptor, whose experience and training were utterly inadequate to the ordering of such complex compositions as these imply. Here and there, the limbs of his figures are massive, and almost always dumpy ; in this respect also his work resembles that of the Chaldaeo- Assyrian artist. But, unlike him, he never attempted to portray violent, contorted postures ; although he is not devoid of inge- nuity and rhythmic sequence in the grouping of his multitudinous figures. The difference in detail and fabrication which distinguishes the Boghaz-Keui as against the Eyuk sculptures cannot wholly be attributed to the material employed having been a friable schistose in the one instance, and a hard trachyte in the other. The sculptured basaltic stones of Northern Syria prove that the native artificer could cope with the difficulty and was provided with suitable tools for the purpose. The deduction to be drawn from the works at Eyuk, which reveal widely different qualities of work- manship, is that the craftsmen who executed them were possessed of less technique than their neighbours. The rams driven to the sacrifice, the bull preparing to butt, are designed with spirit and vigour ; the latter would favourably compare with. Assyrian work (Figs. 334, 339). On the other hand, if the priest and priestess in the procession are just passable, it is difficult to imagine aught more barbarous than the musicians and tumblers ; the drawing is below criticism, and would disgrace a mere stripling (Figs. 331 and 332). The bas-reliefs at Boghaz-Keui are a decided improvement