GREEK AND CHINESE ART 

 IDEALS 1 



ARTHUR STANLEY 



Honorary Curator of the Shanghai Museum. 



That the lives of Laotzu, Confucius and Mencius 

 generally synchronised with those of Phidias, Aeschylus, 

 Sophocles, Pericles, Aristophanes, Plato, Aristotle and 

 Praxiteles, alone seems a sufficient reason for comparing the 

 art ideals of Greece and China. Sakyamuni, the founder of 

 Buddhism, also lived about the same time. That the 

 lives of the founders of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism 

 should have generally synchronised with the golden period 

 of Greek civilisation around the fifth century B.C., seems 

 to show that at this early period of the world's known 

 human history was concentrated a dazzling manifestation 

 of original thought, or at least such as was able to make 

 itself articulate in a form available for posterity. It would 

 seem clear that no> other period, except the recent period of 

 nature knowledge, has been productive of such massive effect 

 throughout the greater part of the civilised world. 



The Human Figure the Cynosure of Greek Art 



The art of a country may be regarded as a good index 

 to its civilisation. The art instinct evolved early in Greece. 

 After the profession of arms had become predominant and 

 the people had won safety from outside marauders, the 

 Athenians devoted themselves to organised athletics. Much 

 as in the present day crowds gathered to watch the prowess 

 and beauty of their youth. The Olympic games of Greece 

 are precisely reflected in our own times. But there was no 

 false modesty in those early days. The competitors appeared 

 as nature made them, unencumbered with clothing. Among 

 the Spartans the maidens also pursued their rigid physical 

 training practically nude. As a result, the beauty of the 

 human figure was assessed at its true art value. That the 

 Greeks strove for strength and beauty is shown in many 



1 Read before the Society, October 23rd, 1919 



