Book Description

Excerpt from Ancient Art and Its Remains: Or a Manual of the Archaeology of Art In this Translation I have endeavoured to avoid, as much as possible, the introduction of new words; but, in the original, various technical terms occur, with which, notwithstanding their novelty to the English reader, I could not dispense; because their rejection would occasion, in some measure, a sacrifice of sense, or a disturbance of the system pursued by the author, - as in Tectonics and Architectonics for example. I may also mention the word scalpture. It is not, I believe, in use in our language, but as scalptura designates a particular branch of ancient art, I did not hesitate to Anglicise it. It may be proper also to explain, that throughout the work a distinction is kept up between column and pillar, the former denoting the circular supporting member of the different orders of architecture, the latter the square pier. The words formative and plastic, likewise, are employed as convertible epithets, except in a few instances where the latter is used in its original and more restricted sense; in these, however, its meaning may be discovered from the context. The most learned of my readers will be most ready to make allowance for the difficulties of my task, which were greatly enhanced, at least in the notes, by the author's desire to express his ideas in the briefest possible manner. By the perhaps too unsparing use of ellipsis he has frequently rendered his meaning obscure or ambiguous. In some instances I was enabled to discover the sense by my recollection of the monuments described, in many others by reference to the author's sources, and in some cases I have derived considerable benefit from the suggestions of Professor Donaldson, whose valuable works on the architectural remains of Greece and Italy are so frequently referred to by Muller, and to whom I take this opportunity of offering my warmest thanks for his obliging assistance. Nevertheless I cannot flatter myself that I have always succeeded in overcoming the difficulties I have had to encounter, and, in glancing over the work, I still find passages which I should have wished to amend. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."