I have seen no reason to alter my opinion (quoted p. 6) that the surface
of the marble played a considerable part in the general effect, and that
it was not concealed with paint, but tinged or stained in some manner to
the proper tone. An extensive and careful examination of the Pentelic
quarries by the orders of King Otho has shown that large blocks such as
were used at Athens are very rare indeed. The distance also from the
city is considerable: whereas there are quarries on Mount Hymettus at
little more than one-third of the distance (and most convenient for
carriage), which furnish immense masses of dove-coloured marble (much
prized, it would seem, by the Romans, Hor. ii. 18), and inferior in no
respect but that of colour to the Pentelic. It could therefore only have
been the intrinsic beauty of the latter material that led to its
employment by so practical a people as the Athenians. With respect to
the use of the outline traced with a sharp point (p. 16), had this been
a provision for repaintings, its absence from the Doric echinus is at
least conclusive that there was no ornament painted on that member; for
on no part of the architecture would the difficulty of reproducing the
pattern have been greater. But since these outlines are found
indifferently both on small and large mouldings, it seems to be a sound
conclusion which limits the painted ornaments to the parts so outlined.