tail: and in the winged lions and bulls used for the angles of
gateways, we may see a considerable advance towards a completely
sculptured figure; which, nevertheless, is still coloured, and still
forms part of the building. But while in Assyria the production of a
statue proper seems to have been little, if at all, attempted, we may
trace in Egyptian art the gradual separation of the sculptured figure
from the wall. A walk through the collection in the British Museum
shows this; while at the same time it affords an opportunity of
observing the traces which the independent statues bear of their
derivation from bas-relief: seeing that nearly all of them not only
display that fusion of the legs with one another and of the arms with
the body which is characteristic of bas-relief, but have the back united
from head to foot with a block which stands in place of the original
wall. Greece repeated the leading stages of this progress. On the
friezes of Greek Temples, were coloured bas-reliefs representing
sacrifices, battles, processions, games--all in some sort religious. The
pediments contained painted sculptures more or less united with the
tympanum, and having for subjects the triumphs of gods or heroes. Even
statues definitely separated from buildings were coloured; and only in
the later periods of Greek civilization does the differentiation of
Sculpture from Painting appear to have become complete. In Christian art
we may trace a parallel re-genesis. All early works of art throughout
Europe were religious in subject--represented Christs, crucifixions,
virgins, holy families, apostles, saints. They formed integral parts of
church architecture, and were among the means of exciting worship; as in
Roman Catholic countries they still are. Moreover, the sculptured
figures of Christ on the cross, of virgins, of saints, were coloured;
and it needs but to call to mind the painted madonnas still abundant in
continental churches and highways, to perceive the significant fact that
Painting and Sculpture continue in closest connection with each other
where they continue in closest connection with their parent. Even when
Christian sculpture became differentiated from painting, it was still
religious and governmental in its subjects--was used for tombs in
churches and statues of kings; while, at the same time, painting, where
not purely ecclesiastical, was applied to the decoration of palaces, and
besides representing royal personages, wa