B A S 



B A S 



birth to figured writina^. Under tliis point of view, it is 

 common to all people, and is found amonp; the mod favage. 

 1^ was invented by necefiity, appropriated by religion. The 

 progrefs alone of the arts of imitation could perfect thefe 

 primitive figns and give them life. This honour was refcrved 

 for the Greeks. In Greece the arts were in fome fort the 

 minifters of religion ; in Egypt and in Afia they were the 

 flaves. A religious refpcft for thefe primitive cliarafters, 

 which worthip had fancliSed, feared perhaps to change: 

 the ideas in changing the forms to which thev v.-ere attached : 

 all contributed, "among the Egyptians, to retain the arts in a 

 kind of infanc;.', from which religion prevented them from 

 emerging." 



All the larger hieroglyphics engraven ii the furface of 

 Egyptian architecture, or on the figures of men and inferior 

 animals, may be confidered as bafio-rdievo : and as of the moft 

 fimple, it m.ay be confequcntly of the moft anci.-nt kind ; be- 

 caule the figure was funk in fuch a manner, that the furface 

 of the ground was left, forming an enclofure or outline 

 vvhofe greateft depth was equal to the' greated projeftion of 

 the figure, which was produftive of thefe advantages. As 

 many of the hieroglyphics were cut in granite, a very brittle 

 marble, it prevented the danger of fpoiling the outline in 

 finking the back-ground, one-third of the labour was faved, 

 and a llrong (liadow all round the figure, particularly when 

 the fun (hone on it, defined its form to the fight. All the 

 temples and palaces enumerated by Ripaud, and defcribed 

 by Denon in the late expedition of the French into E/vpt, 

 ftiew that the greater part of thofe edifices, as well as inferior 

 works,were covered with hieroglyphics, or facred figure-writing 

 in the kind of bas-rtlief above defcribed : the largeft of thefe 

 formed regular ornaments to the friezes, centres over the 

 doors, correfponding tablets, or pannels where the fymmetry 

 of the architeiflure required. The principal of tliefe figures, 

 according to a comparifon of what we find in Orus Apollo, 

 lamblichus on Hieroglyphics, and other authors, with the 

 hieroglyphics themfelves, fcem to be the reprefentation of 

 fome charafteriftic or attribute of the divinity, and the 

 operations of his providence in nature, accompanied by a£ls 

 of adoration : the inferior figures and charafters are ranged 

 in lines like writing. 



Befides the hieroglyphics, the Egyptians employed bas- 

 relief, with the ground levelled to the loweft part of the 

 figure, to defcribe the political or military prowefs of their 

 heroes, and for other hiilorical purpofes. Of this kind are 

 thofe in the palaces of Karnac, engraved by Denon, and 

 thofe defcribed in the Bird's Well, of which there is a fpe- 

 cimen in the hall of the Britifh Mufeuni. It is in a foft cal- 

 careous ftone in very low relief: the fubjedl, men flaying oxen. 

 The human figures are in violent aftion, \yhich they feem to 

 have attempted in hiftorical more than in facred fubjetts. 

 Nor is it furprizing that fuch actions are extravagant, and 

 not well rendered ; when we fee by the works themfelves, 

 that the ftock of knowledge which the fculptors poflfelTed, 

 was infufBcient to account for the parts of the body by a fine 

 proportion, beautiful outline, and the anatomical changes of 

 appearance in the different circumllances of motion. But 

 the prodigious quantity of this kind of labour ftill remain- 

 ing mull have occupied the diligence of fo many hands for 

 a ieries of ages, that they could have had little h ifure to 

 make advances, either in the fentiment or icientific perfec- 

 tion of their figures. This may account, in part at lead, for 

 the execution of the quadruped being better than that of 

 the human figure, which is fo much more difficult. 



It is neceffary to give a general account of the character 

 and ftyle of defign in the Egyptian figures, becaufe wOiat is 

 laid on this fubjed will be in a great meafure applicable to 



the early progrefs of the arts among the Hindoos, Ptrfian*. 

 and Greeks, allowing for fome pecuhariiies in each nation. 

 The arts of dtfign are ftriftly imitative in the early atte.npts; 

 and we find in the Egyptian figures, compounded of differ* 

 enl animals, that each part is a copy of nature. In the humaa 

 figure, the body and limbs were reprefentcd in general fonr.s. 

 The face, as being the moft i!iterefting part of the ptrfon, was 

 more minutely expreffed. The fonn of the face was a round- 

 ed egg, lines of the eye-brows and lids, fimple curves, in- 

 clining upwards from the nofe, the bottom of the nofe and 

 the line of the mouth inclined upwards in the fame diredtion 

 with the eyes. The eyes were full, nearly on a level v.ith the 

 forehead and cheek";, and the lines of the eye-brows, hds, 

 and borders of the lips, markesJ withprecifion. The chin ap- 

 peared fmall and bony, the neck round, the fhoulders high 

 and broad, except the marking of the brcaft, little diftinc- 

 tion of the mufcular forms in any part cf the body and limbs, 

 the loins narrow, the limbs round, rather ftraight and (len- 

 der, their joints flightly indicated, the hands and feet rather 

 flat, the fingers and toes rounded, without the appearance 

 of joints, and nearly of the fa.me length. According to a- 

 figure Denon found, meafurcd by 22 fquares in length, the 

 half of the figure each way was from the divifion of the 

 thighs, the head was rather lefs than a feventh part of the 

 figure'i height. See Denon's Voyage, plate 124, fig. i. 



The quadrupeds on Egyptian monuments, are reprefent- 

 cd in profile, and in the fimplcft attitudes. The parts of 

 which thofe are compofed, are fewer and more general than 

 thofe in the human figure. This is one reafon why the Egyp- 

 tians excelled in their animals ; the mechanical manner in 

 which the ihoulder is drawn of the lion and fphicx (where they 

 have dilplayed more anatomy than in any other part) prefents 

 a fimple, but notjuft account ot the ftrufture of that mem- 

 ber of the body : thefe obfervations apply to the ftate of 

 fculpture before the time of Alexander the Great ; alter 

 which period, it partook of the improvements introduced by 

 its Grecian conquerors. 



Baffo relievos are found in India, which decorate the ex- 

 cavations of Ellora and Elephantis in an aftonidiing profu- 

 fion. The fubjedts are facred, fuitable to the temples in which 

 they are carved ; the di^awing of the figures and their parts 

 bears a ftrong rclemblance to the Egyptian ftyle; but inferior 

 in this, that many of the figures have very large heads, the 

 limbs and bodies difproportioned. It feems likely that the 

 Egyptian hieroglyphics are more ancient, becaufe more fimple 

 than the Hindoo baffo relievo ; the former having the ground 

 left even with the higheft relief, the latter having the ground 

 cut level with the loweft outhne of the figure. For the moft 

 extenfive, accurate, and valuable publications of thefe fub- 

 jects we are indebted to the abilities and unwearied labour of 

 our countryman Thomas Daniell, Efq. R. A. 



The Ptrfians employed baffo relievo like the other ancient 

 nations as a figured writing, at once to record and reprefent 

 the fymbols'of Almighty power and operation, their reli- 

 gious ceremonies, and the prowefsof their heroes. The bas- 

 reliefs on the palace of Perfepolis and the royal tombs are 

 arranged in lines, horizontal and perpendicular, to anfwer 

 the double purpofe of defcriptlon and architeftural decora- 

 tion : the ftyle of drawing rete'V.bies that of the figures in the 

 later hieroglyphics, although the dreffes are extremely dif- 

 ferent. Tilt Egyptians are particularly diilinguidied by the 

 hood, the mitre, the full hair artificiaUy curled, the dole 

 tunic, the apron of papyrus ; the Hindoos by the necklaces, 

 bracelets, and anklets ; the Pcrfians have long beards and 

 hair ending in fmall curls, caps, full tunics with regular folds 

 and large lleeves ; the Mtdcs in the lame ruins of Perfepolis 

 have clofe tunics. The drapery iutbefc bas-reliefs is rather 

 5 D 2 more 



