Zervos' -1r/ en Greer has set such a high standard
in the reproduction of photographs after Greek sculpture that any new book on the subject must almost necessarily seem rather disappointing, at any rate in its plates. At first sight, therefore, Mr. 1Vilkinson's new volume of the series Life and Art in Photograph (Chatto and Windt's, 5s.) might well pass simply as a smaller and cheaper 'version of Zervos. and the reader will regret the absence of detail photographs, and the fact- that of the plates, notably that of the caryatid from the Siplinian treasury at Delphi, look too muck as though they were reproduced from other half-tone plates and not from' photographs. But such criticism would not be really -fair, partly because Zervos' book cost perhaps seven times as Illtlell as Mr. Wilkinson's and partly because the purposes of f he two authors are entirely different. Zervos was deliberately -whimsical in his selection of photographs for reproductiOn ; Lis object was to reveal undiscovered beauties in Greek art and a great many of the most celebrated works are therefore left out. In fact the period after about 430 B.C. is hardly represented at all. Mr. Wilkinson, on the other hand, has the much less agreeable task of being perfectly orthodox. His object is to show as representative a group of sculpture as possible covering all periods from the seventh century n.e. to the beginning of the Christian era. The book is therefore almost entirely made up of familiar statutes, many of which are not much to our taste at the present 'day .but which are historically of great importance. In a preface of disarming modesty Mr. Wilkinson denies any. -claims to originality either in text or choice of plates. His introduction is intended only to supplement the plates, and the plates to illustrate the well-known facts about Creek art—in each case a worthy object worthily achieved.
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