EVOLUTION OF PAINTING AND ETATUAEY. 23 



modern picture or statue is of far more heterogeneous 

 nature than an ancient one. An Egyptian sculpture-fresco 

 represents all its figures as on one plane that is, at the 

 same distance from the eye ; and so is less heterogeneous 

 than a painting that represents them as at various distances 

 from the eye. It exhibits all objects as exposed to the 

 same degree of light ; and so is less heterogeneous than a 

 painting which exhibits different objects and different parts 

 of each object as in different degrees of light. It uses 

 scarcely any but the primary colours, and these in their 

 full intensity ; and so is less heterogeneous than a painting 

 which, introducing the primary colours but sparingly, em 

 ploys an endless variety of intermediate tints, each of hete 

 rogeneous composition, and differing from the rest not only 

 in quality but in intensity. Moreover, we see in these ear 

 liest works a great uniformity of conception. The same 

 arrangement of figures is perpetually reproduced the 

 same actions, attitudes, faces, dresses. In Egypt the modes 

 of representation were so fixed that it was sacrilege to 

 introduce a novelty ; and indeed it could have been only 

 in consequence of a fixed mode of representation that a 

 system of hieroglyphics became possible. The Assyrian 

 bas-reliefs display parallel characters. Deities, kings, at 

 tendants, winged figures and animals, are severally depicted 

 in like positions, holding like implements, doing like things, 

 and with like expression or non-expression of face. If a 

 palm-grove is introduced, all the trees are of the same 

 height, have the same number of leaves, and are equidis 

 tant. When water is imitated, each wave is a counterpart 

 of the rest ; and the fish, almost always of one kind, are 

 evenly distributed over the surface. The beards of the 

 kings, the gods, and the winged figures, are everywhere 

 similar : as are the manes of the lions, and equally so those 

 of the horses. Hair is represented throughout by one form 

 of curl. The king s beard is quite architecturally built 

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