B A S 



sole for its fculpturc, part of which was done in the reign of 

 Trajan, and the reft under Conftantinc ; fome of the for- 

 mer as remarkable for its grandeur, beauty, and boldnefs, 

 as the latter for its barbarity ; ftiewing the miferable decay 

 of the arts in the courfc of 240 years. The two battles, 

 the fi£rures in which are as large as life, forming friezes un- 

 der the cornices of the impofts in the middle opening of the 

 arch, are grand and animated compofilions, in a noble ftyle 

 of fculpture (fee plate 42. and the following, in the Veteres 

 Arcus Auguilorumj. Two obfervations on the arch of 

 Severiis will fhew, that fculpture had declined confidcrably 

 from the bcft ages. The principal baffo-relicvos occupy 

 very large fquares, containing figures, animals, cities, forts, 

 and great warlike machines, on difTtrent plans, irregularly 

 dillributcd, without regard to perfpeftive ; and thus, when 

 viewed at fuch n diftance that the detail becomes indiftinfl, 

 they prefcnt the appearance of ruftic work irregularly rough, 

 and difagrecable as mixed with regular and niagnilicent ar- 

 chitefture : unlike the friezes in the temples of Athens, 

 which, as they have only one plan of figures, each fimply 

 and beautifully conceived, when viewed at a dillauce in 

 which the detail difappears, they prefcnt to the eye a com- 

 pofition of lines di(linc\ and harmonious, forming an orna- 

 ment. It is alfo to be obferved, that the fmall figures in 

 thefe great fquares are fo boldly relieved, that they interfere 

 with and dellroy the effecl of the fmallcr architedlural mem- 

 bers near them. 



The triumphal columns demand our particular attention, 

 not only for their magnificent defign, ftrudure, and mate- 

 rials, but alio for the imnienfity of baffo-rclievo which co- 

 vers them. But here we may obferve, that imperial gran- 

 deur, by the endeavour to oulftep, falls fliort of real great- 

 nefs ; and that where too much is expedled or intended, too 

 little is the refult. AVith rcfpeft to the very conception of 

 the Trajan column, a doubt has been entertained, whether 

 a tower might not have allowed of a more grand and fimple 

 defign for the purpofe of a ftupendous ilructure, than a Tuf- 

 can column mounted on a Corinthian pcdeftal. But notwith- 

 ftanding the doubts of fome judicious and unprejudiced per- 

 fons on this point, the column has been the wonder and de- 

 light of all beholders for 1600 years. The I'piral baflb- 

 relievo, reaching from the bottom to the top of the (liaft, 

 reprefents Trajan's firll and fccond expedition againft the 

 Dacians, and his viftory over th-ir king Decebalus. Vafi 

 (in his Itinerary of Rome) fays, " they count upon it up- 

 wards of 2,500 figures, without reckoning horfes, elephants, 

 arms, machines of war, and an infinity of other objefts ;" 

 to which may be added the four eagles on the corners of the 

 pcdeftal, bearing fcftoons of laurel, and the arms on the die 

 of the pedeftal, all of mafterly, and the laft mentioned of the 

 moft delicate and laborious execution. But here a defeft 

 muft be noted, in juftification of the firft obfervation on this 

 noble monument, that although the figures increafc fome- 

 what, both in fize and projeftion, as they approach the top 

 of the column, yet it is certainly true, that any perfon 

 ftanding on the ground cannot fee the objefts diftinftly 

 above one-third of the height of the ftiaft, beyond which all 

 is confufion. Does it not follow, that if figures of that fize 

 were intended to be feen,' they (hould not have been raifed 

 above one-third of the column ; and if they were intended 

 to be feen at a greater diftance, their fize fiiould have been 

 proportionably increafed ? That this is an optical defeft 

 cannot be denied; yet critics have taken pains to make their 

 readers believe, that ever}- thing relating to perfpeftive in 

 this column was beyond the reach of moft modern compre- 

 henfion for excellence; when any perfon acquainted only 

 with the very firft principles of perfpeftive, muft; perceive 

 7 



B A S 



no attention whatever has been given to linear perfpeftivcs 

 from the top to the bottom of the column : fuch injudi- 

 cious praife proves only the abfurdity and ignorance of the 

 eulogift. Certainly the ancient fculpture contains whatever 

 is truly excellent and admirable in the arc ; but let us choofe 

 the objeds which are really poffciTcd of thofe qualities, 

 always diftinguifliing between beauty and the want of it ; 

 and then we cannot beftow our praifcs too liberally, nor 

 ftudy with too much diligence thofe perfeftions we would 

 imitate, or be thoroughly acquainted with. The Antonine 

 column is covered with baflb- relievo, reprefenting the vic- 

 tories of Marcus Aurelius over the Marcomanni. The 

 fculpture is inferior to that on the Trajan column ; and 

 figures, having more projeftiou, deform the outline of the 

 fliaft at a near view. The Theodofian column at Conftan- 

 tinoplc, drawn by Gentil Bellini (fee Montfaucon), induce 

 us to believe that fculpture did not decline fo haftily in the 

 Eaft as in Italy. 



Marble farcophagi do not feem te have been ufcd in 

 Rome much before the time of Craffus, whofe wife Cecilia 

 Metella was buried in one. The fronts and ends of thefe 

 coffins, from that time for man^- ages afterwards, were deco- 

 rated witfi figures. Some of the fineft compofitions of the 

 ancients are to be found upon them, moft probably copied 

 from Greek originals, by Roman manufafturing ftatuaries ; 

 one of whom lived on the Appian way, and occupied an ex- 

 tent of two miles in his works, as has been fuppofed from 

 the quantity of fculpture finifhed and unfiniihed found on the 

 fpot, as well as an infcription which confirms the faft. The 

 fublimity of the fubjefts leads us to think, that fome have 

 derived their origin trom Phidias, Polycletus, and other of 

 the grcateft mailers ; as it is fcarcely pofiible fuch groups 

 and Inch expreflion as we fee in thefe bad copies, coidd at 

 firft have been produced by inferior artiif s. Among them 

 are the ftories of Prometheus, Medea, Phaeton, Oreftes, 

 Alcefte, the anger of Achilles, Bacchus and Ariadne, the 

 fall of the giants, the judgment of Paris, &c. &c. Thefe 

 continued to be repeated till after the time of Conftantine, 

 when fubjefts from the Old and New Teftament fucceeded : 

 but thefe were fo barbarous that they merit no farther no- 

 tice at prefent ; and indeed the removal of the feat of empire 

 to Conllantinople had fo defpoiled Rome of riches and abi- 

 lity, that little effort could be expefted in the Weft, and 

 the little that was left became the fucceffive prey to the 

 Northern invaders, and the unxvoidable deftruflion of time, 

 for the following fix centuries. Bas-reliefs of the eighth cen- 

 tury, round the capitals of columns, reprefenting Charle- 

 magne and other figures, are in the Mufeum of French Mo- 

 numents at Paris. There is alfo a bas-relief of Samfon kill- 

 ing the Hon, on a capital in the crypt of St. Peter's church, 

 Oxford, done in the time of Alfred. Like all the works of 

 thefe ages, they are barbarous and unmeaning. 



In 1063 the Pifans began to build their cathedral, the old 

 bronze gate of which contains a feries of fubjefts from fcrip- 

 ture^in bas-relief; but fo rude and grofs, that they muft be 

 conndered as the very beginnings of art. There is a bafi'o- 

 rehevo of the afts of Abraham forming capitals to a group 

 of columns, in the weft door of the cathedral of Carrara, 

 carved between iioo and 1200, which is rather more de- 

 tailed, though the figures are grofs and difproportioned, 

 not being above five heads high. Similar fpecimens may be 

 feen of this age in different countries of Europe, from' the 

 firft feeble efforts to revive fculpture. In fuch attempts as 

 have been juft mentioned, little improvement was made till 

 towards the year 1230, when Nicolo Pifano having diligently 

 ftudied fome antique baffo-rehevos on farcophagi at Pifa, was 

 employed in carving fimilar ornaments of facred fubjefts, in 



feveral 



