ional, undoubtedly derived from the
habits and teachings of the primitive school. But there prevails at
the same time, in the execution of the human form, and the manner in
which the nude is treated, a knowledge of anatomy, and an excellence
of imitation carried to so high a degree of truth as to give
convincing proofs of an advanced step and higher stage in the
development of the art. The following are the principal
characteristics of the AEginetan style, as derived from a careful
examination of the statues found in AEgina, which were the undoubted
productions of the school of the AEginetan period. The style in which
they are executed is called Hieratic, or Archaic.

The heads, either totally destitute of expression, or all reduced to a
general and conventional expression, present, in the oblique position
of the eyes and mouth, that forced smile which seems to have been the
characteristic feature common to all productions of this archaic
style; for we find it also on the most ancient medals, and on
bas-reliefs of the primitive period.

The hair, treated likewise in a systematic manner in small curls or
plaits, worked with wonderful industry, imitates not real hair, but
genuine wigs, a peculiarity which may be remarked on other works in
the ancient style, and of Etruscan origin. The beard is indicated on
the cheek by a deep mark, and is rarely worked in relief, but, in the
latter case, so as to imitate a false beard, and consequently in the
same system as the hair. The costume partakes of the same conventional
and hieratic taste; it consists of drapery, with straight and regular
folds, falling in symmetrical and parallel masses, so as to imitate
the real draperies in which the ancient statues in wood were draped.
These conventional forms of the drapery and hair may, therefore, be
considered as deriving their origin from an imitation of the early
statues in wood, the first objects of worship and of art among the
Greeks, which were frequently covered with false hair, and clothed
with real draperies. The muscular development observable in these
figures is somewhat exaggerated, but, considering the period, is
wonderfully accurate and true to nature. The genius for imitation
exhibited in this style, carried as far as it is possible in the
expression of the forms of the body, although still accompanied by a
little meagreness and dryness, the truth of detail, the exquisite care
in the execution, evince so profound a knowledg