The =other collections= at the Louvre appeal for the most part rather to
the =specialist= than to the general public. They are for workers, not
for sight-seers. The =Egyptian Museum=, for example, to the L as you
enter the Cour du Louvre by the main entrance, contains, perhaps, the
finest collection of its sort in all Europe. You must, of course, at
least walk through it—especially if you have not seen the British
Museum. The objects, however, are sufficiently indicated for casual
visitors by means of the labels; they need not be enumerated. The
opposite wing, to the R as you enter, contains the =Assyrian
Collection=, inferior on the whole, especially in its bas-reliefs, to
that in the British Museum. Beyond it, again, to the left, lie a group
of rooms devoted to the =intermediate region= between the sphere of
=Assyrian and Greek art=. These rooms ought certainly to be examined by
any who wish to form some idea of the origin and development of Hellenic
culture. The first two rooms of the suite contain =Phœnician=
works,—important because the Phœnicians were the precursors of the
Greeks in navigation and commerce in the Mediterranean, and because
early Greek art was largely based on Phœnician imitations of Assyrian
and Egyptian work, or on actual Egyptian and Assyrian objects imported
into Hellas by Phœnician merchants. These Semitic seafarers had no
indigenous art of their own; but they acted as brokers between East and
West, and they skilfully copied and imitated the principal art-products
of the two great civilisations on whose confines they lay, though often
without really understanding their true import. The Phœnicians were thus
the pioneers of civilisation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
=Room= IV, beyond these two, contains more Phœnician antiquities, and
others from =Cyprus=, an island inhabited by Greeks or half Greeks, but
one in which this imported Oriental culture earliest took root and
produced native imitations. Examine these objects as leading up to, and
finally correcting, the _archaic_ Greek work ill represented by a few
objects in the Salle de Phidias. The =Salle de Milet=, beyond, contains
Greek antiquities from =Asia Minor=, some of which indicate transition
from the Assyrian to the Hellenic type. Examine these from the point of
view of development. The reliefs from the temple of Assos in Mysia show
an early stage in the evolution of Asiatic Greek art. Compare them with
the archaic objects in the Salle de Phidias. It must be borne in mind
that civilised art entered Greece from Assyria, by way of Phœnicia, the
Hittites, Lydia, Phrygia, the Ionian cities in Asia Minor, and the
Islands of the Archipelago. These intermediate rooms should therefore be
studied in detail from this point of view, dates and places being
carefully noted, as illustrating the westward march of art from Nineveh
to Athens. The last hall of the suite, the =Salle de Magnésie=, on the
other hand, contains works from =Ephesus= of a late Greek period,
representing rather a slight barbaric deterioration than a transitional
stage. These collections, most important to the student of Hellenic
culture, may be neglected by hurried or casual visitors.
The =Salle Judaïque=, to the right, under the stairs, contains the
scanty remains of the essentially inartistic Jewish people, interesting
chiefly from the point of view of Biblical history. The famous and
much-debated =Moabite Stone=, recording the battles of King Mesa of Moab
with the Jews in B.C. 896, is here preserved. It is believed to be the
earliest existing specimen of alphabetic as opposed to hieroglyphic or
ideographic writing.
There is, however, one group of objects in the Louvre, too seldom
visited, which no one should omit to inspect if time permits him. This
is the admirable =**=Dieulafoy Collection of =Persian Antiquities=. To
arrive at it, go to the front of the Old Louvre, facing St. Germain
l’Auxerrois, as for the previously noted series. Enter by the principal
portal, and turn to the R, through the Assyrian collection, whose winged
bulls and reliefs of kings you may now inspect in passing, if you have
not done so previously. Mount the staircase at the end, and, at the
landing on the top, turn to your L, when you will find yourself at once
face to face with the collection.
The =First Room= contains merely Græco-Babylonian objects (of a
different collection) which need only be inspected by those whose
leisure is ample. They illustrate chiefly the effect of Hellenic
influence on Asiatic models. On the entrance wall of the =Second Room=
is the magnificent =*Frieze of Archers= of the Immortal Guard, in
encaustic tiles, with cuneiform inscriptions, from the Throne Room of
Darius I. This splendid work, mere fragment though it is of the
original, gives in its colour and decorative detail some idea of the
splendour of the Palace of the Persian monarchs. The colours are those
still so prevalent in Persian art, showing a strong predominance of
blues and greens, with faint tones of yellow, over red and purple, which
latter, indeed, are hardly present. Round the rest of the walls are
ranged decorative fragments from the Palace of Artaxerxes Mnemon.
Opposite the archers is another magnificent frieze of =angry lions=,
from the summit of the portals in the last-named palace. The next
compartment of the same room contains the =*Base of a Column= and a
=**Capital= of the same, also from the Palace of Artaxerxes Mnemon:—two
figures of bulls supporting between them the enormous wooden rafters of
the ceiling. These gigantic and magnificent figures form perhaps the
most effective and adequate supports for a great weight to be found in
any school of architecture.
The next room contains the admirable =reconstruction= of the Palace,
when entire, showing the position on the walls of either pylon, and the
manner in which the columns supported the colossal roof. If, from
inspection of this model, we return to the base and capitals themselves,
we shall be able to judge what must have been the magnificent and
gigantic scale of this Titanic building, the effect of which must have
thrown even the Temple of Karnac into the shade. At the side are a
=lion= and =winged bull=, which help to complete the mental picture.
This collection, unique in Europe, serves to give one an idea of the
early =Persian civilisation= which can nowhere else be obtained, and
which helps to correct the somewhat one-sided idea derived from the
accounts of Greek historians. On no account should you miss it.
The =minor art-objects= of the Louvre, though of immense value and
interest in themselves, may be largely examined by those who have the
time in the light of their previous work at Cluny. The collection of
=drawings=, one of the finest in Europe, is mostly interesting to
artists. That of =smaller Mediæval and Renaissance Objects= contains
works closely similar to those at Cluny, including admirable
=ivory-carvings=, fine =pottery= (the best of which is that by
=Palissy=, and the =Henri II ware=), together with Oriental faïence,
bronzes, etc. The =Greek Vases=, again, of which this Museum contains a
magnificent collection, are mainly interesting to Hellenic specialists.
For the casual visitor, it will suffice to examine one or two of them.
The =Etruscan Antiquities= give a good idea of the civilisation of this
ancient race, from which, both in earlier and later times, almost all
the art, poetry, and science of Italy has proceeded. Though entirely
based upon Greek models, the Etruscan productions betray high artistic
faculty and great receptive powers of intellect. Among the =minor Greek
works=, none are more interesting than the beautiful little terra-cotta
=figures= from =Tanagra= in Bœotia, which cast an unexpected light on
one side of Greek art and culture. Examine them as supplementing the
collection of antique sculpture. These =figurines=, as they are called,
were produced in immense quantities, chiefly in Bœotia, both for
household decoration and to be buried with the dead. They were first
moulded or cast in clay, but they were afterwards finished by hand, with
the addition of just such accessories or modifications as we have seen
to obtain in the case of the statues in the antique gallery. Finally
they were gracefully and tastefully coloured. Nothing better indicates
the universality of high art-feeling among the ancient Greeks than the
extraordinary variety, fancy, and beauty of these cheap objects of
every-day decoration; while the unexpected novelty given by the
slightest additions or alterations in what (being moulded) is
essentially the same figure throws a flood of light upon the methods of
plastic art in higher departments. Look out for these exquisite little
figures as you pass through the (inner) rooms on the South Side of the
old Cour du Louvre, on the First Floor. Most of them will be found in
Room L of Baedeker’s plan. Almost every visitor is equally surprised and
charmed by their extremely modern tone of feeling. They are alive and
human. In particular, the =playfulness= of Greek art is here admirably
exemplified. Many of them have touches of the most graceful humour.
Here, again, do not suppose that because I do not specify, these minor
works of art are of little importance. If you have time, examine them
all: but you must do so by individual care and study.
The neighbouring =Salle des Bijoux= contains beautiful antique
jewellery; do not miss the very graceful gold =tiara= presented to the
Scythian King Saitaphernes by the Greek city of Olbia in the Crimea—a
lovely work of the 3rd century B.C. Its authenticity has been disputed,
but not its beauty.
The =Galerie d’Apollon= contains, among many objects of considerable
interest, the Reliquary which encloses the Arm of Charlemagne—who,
having been canonized, was duly entitled to such an honour. The
Reliquary of St. Henry, and the Chasse of St. Louis are also well worthy
of inspection. Notice, too, the Hand of Justice, used at the coronation
of the French Kings. But all these objects can only be properly studied,
by those who wish to investigate them, with the aid of the official
catalogue. I shall recur at greater length to a few of them after our
return from St. Denis.
When you have learnt Paris well, go often to and fro between these rooms
of the Louvre, the Mediæval and Renaissance Sculpture, the halls at
Cluny (particularly Room VI, with its French architectural work), and
the older churches, such as St. Germain-des-Prés, Notre-Dame, St. Denis,
etc. Thus only can you build up and consolidate your conceptions.
* * * * *
A special small collection, to which part of a day may well be devoted,
is the =Early Christian Sculpture=, to which I have already briefly
alluded, in the first room to the R as you enter the Renaissance
Galleries in the Cour du Louvre.
The centre of the hall is occupied by a good Early Christian
=sarcophagus=, with a cover not its own, sufficiently described as to
origin on the label. The front towards the window represents the True
Vine, surrounding the “X P,” which form the first two letters of the
name of Christ in Greek, inscribed in a solar circle, and with the Alpha
and Omega on either side of it. This figure, repeated on various works
in this room in slightly different shapes, is known as a =Labarum=. It
forms, after Constantine (who adopted it as his emblem and that of the
Christianized Empire), the most frequent symbol on early Christian
monuments. Note modern reproductions on the frieze of this apartment.
Its variations are numerous. At the ends, are other True Vines and a
better Labarum, with a Star of Bethlehem. The back has the same devices
repeated.
Wall nearest the entrance, several =inscriptions=, among which notice
the frequency of the Labarum, with the two birds pecking at it,—a
common Early Christian Symbol. Below them, good early =sarcophagus=. On
its end, remote from window, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, a traditional
representation, of which an extremely rude barbaric degradation may be
noticed, high up, near the door which leads into the Della Robbia room,
adjacent. In Early Christian art certain subjects from the Old and New
Testaments became conventionalised, and were repeated on numerous works;
of which this scene of Daniel is an example. Observe here that Old
Testament subjects are frequent; while Madonnas are rare, and saints
almost unknown. Further on, on the ground, sarcophagus representing
=Christ with the Twelve Apostles=. The treatment here, in spite of
slight Oriental tendencies (compare the Mithra reliefs) is on the whole
purely classical. Now, the great interest in this room is to watch the
way in which classical styles and figures passed slowly from pagan types
into Christian, and again from the debased classical types of the later
Empire into those of Romanesque or Gothic barbarity. As an example of
this surviving pagan element, see, on the wall to the R of this
sarcophagus, =Elijah taken up to Heaven= in a chariot of fire, and
leaving his mantle to Elisha. Here, the Jordan is represented, in truly
pagan style, by a river-god reclining on an urn and holding water-weeds.
Such river-gods were the conventional classical way of representing a
river (see the Tiber here, and the Nile of the Vatican, reproduced in
the Vestibule): and Christian artists at first so represented the
Jordan, as in the Baptism of Christ (in mosaic) in the Baptistery of the
Orthodox at Ravenna.
Above the sarcophagus of Christ and the Twelve Apostles is an extremely
beautiful =altar-front= from the abbey of St. Denis (read label) with a
cross and palm trees, the True Vine interlacing it, and the
characteristic wave-pattern, which you may note on many other works in
this room. This is the most beautiful piece of early Romanesque or
intermediate Christian carving in this collection.
In the centre of the Elijah wall, below, a sarcophagus with a very
Oriental figure of the =Good Shepherd=—a frequent early Christian
device. Compare this figure with the plaster cast of a similar statue
from Rome, near the Della Robbia doorway. Compare the marked Orientalism
of face, form, and foot-gear, with the Mithra reliefs. Above it, Scenes
from the Life of Christ:—Blessing the Children, Christ and Peter, the
Woman of Samaria, etc.; treatment quite classical. Still higher,
sarcophagus-front of Christ and the Twelve Apostles; workmanship
becoming decadent; architecture, classical in the centre, passing at the
sides into early Romanesque or Constantinian and Diocletianesque, as in
some of the other examples in this room. L of it, Abraham’s Sacrifice of
Isaac, with rather late architecture.
All the other objects in this room should be carefully examined, and
their place of origin noted. The symbols and the frequent Oriental tinge
should also be observed. Likewise, the absence of several ideas and
symbols which come in later. Note that there are no crucifixions,
sufferings, or martyrdoms; the tone is joyous. Many of the minor objects
have their own value. Thus, the fish, by the entrance door, is a common
Early Christian symbol, because the Greek word ΙΧΘΥΣ [Greek: ICHTHYS]
formed the initials of the sentence, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, the
Saviour”; and its sacred significance is here still further emphasised
by the superimposed cross—a symbol, however, which does _not_ belong to
the very earliest ages of Christendom. So, on the opposite wall of the
window, notice the little Daniel in the Den of Lions, and the youthful
beardless Christ with a halo. The longer you study these interesting
remains, the more will you see in them.
Those who have had their interest aroused in Early Christian art from
the examination of this room will find the subject best pursued at Rome
(Catacombs and Lateran) and Ravenna, where we can trace the long decline
from classical freedom to Byzantine stiffness and Gothic barbarism, as
well as the slow upward movement from the depths of the early Romanesque
style to the precursors of the Renaissance. For the chronological
pursuit of this enticing subject the best order of visiting is Rome,
Ravenna, Bologna, Pisa, Siena, Florence. For a list of the extensive
literature of the subject, see Dean Farrar’s _Christ in Art_.
IV
THE NORTH BANK (RIVE DROITE)
[PARIS, =north of the river=,—which is for most purposes the
practical Paris of business and pleasure (and of the ordinary
tourist) at the present day—has grown by slow degrees from
small beginnings. The various rings of its growth are roughly
marked on the Map of Historical Paris. The wall of =Philippe
Auguste= started from near the easternmost end of the existing
Louvre, and, after bending inland so as just to enclose the
Halles Centrales, reached the river again near the upper end of
the Île St. Louis. It thus encircled the district immediately
opposite the primitive islands: and this innermost region, the
Core of the Right Bank, still contains most of the older
buildings and places of interest N. of the river. =Étienne
Marcel’s= walls took a slightly wider sweep, as shown on the
Map; and by the time of =Louis XIII=. the town had reached the
limit of the =Great Boulevards=, which, with their southern
prolongation, still enclose almost everything of historical or
artistic interest in modern Paris. The fact that the kings had
all their palaces in this northern district was partly a cause,
partly perhaps an effect, of its rapid predominance. The town
was now spreading mainly northward.
The increase of the royal power brought about by Richelieu, and
the consequent stability and internal peace of the kingdom,
combined with the complete change in methods of defence which
culminated in Vauban, enabled Louis XIV to =pull down the walls=
of Paris altogether, and to lay out the space covered by his
predecessor’s fortifications in that series of broad curved
avenues which still bears from this circumstance the name of
Boulevards (“bulwarks” or ramparts). The original line so named,
from the Bastille to the Madeleine, is ordinarily spoken of to
this day simply as “the Boulevard.” All the others called by the
same have borrowed the title, mostly at a very recent date, from
this older girdle. Gradually, the =Faubourgs= which gathered
beyond the line of the inner city, as well as beyond the
artificial southern prolongation of the Boulevards by which
Louis continued his circle, with true French thoroughness of
system, on the southern bank, have entirely coalesced with the
central town, and at last enormously outgrown it. Nevertheless,
to the end, the Paris of Louis XIV continues to enclose almost
all that is vital in the existing city. Especially is =Paris
within the Great Boulevards= to this day the Paris of =business
and finance=: it includes the Bourse, the Banque de France, the
Bourse de Commerce, the chief markets, the Post Office, the
Ministries of Finance, Marine, and Justice, the Hôtel de Ville,
numerous Government Offices, the principal wholesale warehouses,
financial firms, and agencies, and almost all the best shops,
hotels, banks, and business houses.
Even the inner circle itself, again, _within_ the Boulevards,
has been largely transformed by modern alterations, especially
in that extensive reorganisation of the city inaugurated under
Napoleon III by Baron Haussmann. In the brief itinerary which
follows, and in which I have endeavoured to give the reader in
two short walks or drives some general idea of the development
of the Right Bank, with its chief points of interest, I shall
indicate roughly the various ages of the great thoroughfares,
and note with needful conciseness the causes which at various
times led to their construction.]