Among the Romans portrait, decorative, and scene painting engrossed the art, much to the regret of such critics as Pliny and Vitruvius.  Nothing could be in more execrable taste than a colossal painting of Nero, one hundred and twenty feet high.  From the time of Augustus landscape decorations were common, and were carried out with every species of license.  Among the Greeks we do not read of landscape painting.  This has been reserved for our age, and is much admired, as it was at Rome in the latter days of the empire.  Mosaic work, of inlaid stones or composition of varying shades and colors, gradually superseded painting in Rome; it was first used for floors, and finally walls and ceilings were ornamented with it.  It is true, the ancients could show no such exquisite perfection of colors, tints, and shades as may be seen to-day in the wonderful reproductions of world-renowned paintings on the walls of St. Peter’s at Rome; but many ancient mosaics have been preserved which attest beauty of design of the highest character,—­like the Battle of Issus, lately discovered at Pompeii; and this brilliant art had its origin and a splendid development at the hands of the old Romans.

Thus in all those arts of which modern civilization is proudest, and in which the genius of man has soared to the loftiest heights, the ancients were not merely our equals,—­they were our superiors.  It is greater to originate than to copy.  In architecture, in sculpture, and perhaps in painting, the Greeks attained absolute perfection.  Any architect of our time, who should build an edifice in different proportions from those that were recognized in the great cities of antiquity, would make a mistake.  Who can improve upon the Doric columns of the Parthenon, or upon the Corinthian capitals of the Temple of Jupiter?  Indeed, it is in proportion as we accurately copy the faultless models of the age of Pericles that excellence with us is attained and recognized; when we differ from them we furnish grounds of just criticism.  So in sculpture,—­the finest modern works are inspired by antique models.  It is only when the artist seeks to bring out the purest and loftiest sentiments of the soul, such as only Christianity can inspire, that he may hope to surpass the sculpture of antiquity in one department of that art alone,—­in expression, rather than in beauty of form, on which no improvement can be made.  And if we possessed the painted Venus of Apelles, as we can boast of having the sculptured Venus of Cleomenes, we should probably discover greater richness of coloring as well as grace of figure than appear in that famous picture of Titian which is one of the proudest ornaments of the galleries of Florence, and one of the greatest marvels of Italian art.

* * * * *

AUTHORITIES.

Winckelmann’s History of Ancient Art; Mueller’s Ancient Art and its Remains; A.J.  Guattani, Antiquites de la Grande Grece; Mazois, Antiquites de Pompeii; Sir W. Gill, Pompeiana; Donaldson’s Antiquities of Athens; Vitruvius, Stuart, Chandler, Clarke, Dodwell, Cleghorn, De Quincey, Fergusson, Schliemann,—­these are some of the innumerable authorities on Architecture among the ancients.