Athena & Hephaistos, Parthenon East Frieze

            Detail of the east frieze of the Parthenon as displayed in the Duveen gallery at the British Museum. This was the principal facade and entrance to the Parthenon, thus this section of frieze depicted the culmination of the Panathenaic Procession, with priestesses, wise men and heroes assembling before the twelve principal Olympian gods and goddesses (distinguished by being shown seated on a larger scale than the mortals; sadly their heads here are damaged, but three of them survive in much better condition in Athens). At the very centre a group of mortals handle the 'peplos', a new garment for Athena's image, at the culminating ceremony of the procession.

The famous frieze of the Parthenon was the most ambitious ever conceived, forming a continuous strip of sculpted relief narrative around the perimeter of the inner part (cella) of the temple. It was thus the least easily seen, being set high within the collonnade and originally richly coloured to increase legibility from such a distant, shadowy position.

All four sides constituted a single continuous subject, the Panathenaic Procession, held every four years in honour of the Temple and city's patron Goddess Athena. It begins on the west side with various riders making preparation, then runs eastwards along bothe the long sides, north and south, before culminating in a group of seated deites on the east side (above the former main entrance). The procession is largely made up horses and riders in front of which are/were chariots, musicians, offering bearers and sacrificial animals (all of these latter groups suffered most in the explosion of 1687).

The frieze remained almost complete and in good condition for Jacques Carrey to draw most of it in 1674. Only thirteen years later disaster struck when the Pathenon was blown apart by the Turkish gunpowder store within hit by a Venetian shell. The inner part of the temple was mostly demolished, leaving most of the frieze prone at ground level, where much was lost to souvenir hunters, lime burners and casual vandalism before Elgin's team arrived.

Those sculptures that survived the explosion of 1687 were mostly removed by Lord Elgin's agents in the 1800s and sent to London where they currently remain. However he had to leave most of the west frieze in situ on the Parthenon where they remained until the late 1990s. Casts taken by Elgin's team show the west frieze has suffered damage from weathering and air pollution. It has now been restored for display in the new Acropolis Museum in Athens. Significant sections of the north, east and south friezes also remain in Athens.

The sculptures of the Parthenon (pediments, metopes and frieze)remain generally recognised as the most accomplished (both in terms of technical mastery and beauty of design) scheme of architectural sculpture ever realised. That so much of it has been lost (particulaly as the building remained substantially intact and in use continuously until 1687) is a tragedy, judging by what remains.

Taken in: United Kingdom / England / London / Bloomsbury (show map)

Taken on: June 26, 2006

Tags:

parthenon

frieze

relief

classical

antiquity

acropolis

athens

greek

british museum

london

elgin marbles

east frieze « less

Sets appears in: • Classical Art & Culture • The Parthenon Sculptures more » • London - British Museum « less

Camera: Olympus u20D,S400D,u400D, f/3.1, 1/40 sec, 5.8mm, ISO 64 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Olympus u20D,S400D,u400D
Aperture:	f/3.1
Exposure Time:	0.025 sec (1/40)
Focal Length:	5.8mm
ISO:	64
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	Low gain up
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	06-1003
Show full info

Stats: 2,660 views

go back

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: