L.Barlow Classical Civilisations
The Parthenon Frieze
- 442-438 BC
- Outer wall of the cella
- Completed in situ
- 160m in length
- Slabs of regular size but design does not appear to respect slab design, especially on north and
south (in situ), less so on east and west
- Pheidias responsible for overall design but detailed studies have revealed that many sculptors
worked on frieze- can be distinguished by mannerisms- but consistently high standard shows
very well trained
- Harmony of style
- Just under half in British Museum
- 1/3 on Parthenon itself or in other museums
- 1/5 destroyed in explosion of 1687
- Presented a great number of artistic and practical problems
- Continuous frieze of a Greek temple was normally concerned with a single subject, but if all four
sides were sculpted, the subjects of the four faces were often independent and unconnected
- Here = first time a frieze, developed over all four sides, show figures variously engaged but all
united in one purpose
- Great length in relation to height needed a theme for which great number of participants would
be needed
- In practice limited to battle so they went for a procession instead
- Panathenaic procession:
• In honour of Athena’s birthday in July in which people of Athens brought new robe for Athena’s
statue every 4 years
• Robe (woven with pictures of mythical struggle between gods and Titans) spread over mast of
ship set on wheels, followed by girls carrying sacred implements, youths leading sacrificial
animals, chariots and horsemen
• Greatest single religious festival in Athenian calendar
• Unprecedented to depict non-mythological subject and decision to integrate all 4 sides into a
single composition with a single theme
• Generally believed that it is not a documentary record but a highly sophisticated work of art
and therefore highly selective
• Gives an ideal of the festival
• Originally thought horsemen = normal Athenians: first time ordinary people been depicted. If
true = hubris
• But Boardman’s theory: represent specific celebration of festival in which late the men who
died at Marathon (490 BC) participated
• 192 men (excluding charioteers) - 192 died at Marathon. Therefore showing heroes, not men
• Therefore the gods assembled to receive dead into realm of immortal fame and ignore peplos/
robe
• NB: gods turn their backs on central action and face approaching procession
• Visibility- practical problem- frieze was 40ft high- use of colour, including blue for background
helped, relief cut deeper at top than bottom (constant depth of 9 inch at top and 4 inch at
bottom) and the figures carved in 2D composition against background from which are not cut
free
• Designed so that participants in the frieze seem to accompany observer walking along beside
and in same direction
• West: preparation of procession comes together and moves along - North and South,
therefore two branches converge on front/ East of Parthenon
• Heads of all figures, whether mounted or on foot, seated/standing reach to the top of the frieze
= impression of an even pattern with no undue gaps
• Shows remarkable range of rhythms and subjects subordinated to a controlled plan
The Parthenon Frieze
- 442-438 BC
- Outer wall of the cella
- Completed in situ
- 160m in length
- Slabs of regular size but design does not appear to respect slab design, especially on north and
south (in situ), less so on east and west
- Pheidias responsible for overall design but detailed studies have revealed that many sculptors
worked on frieze- can be distinguished by mannerisms- but consistently high standard shows
very well trained
- Harmony of style
- Just under half in British Museum
- 1/3 on Parthenon itself or in other museums
- 1/5 destroyed in explosion of 1687
- Presented a great number of artistic and practical problems
- Continuous frieze of a Greek temple was normally concerned with a single subject, but if all four
sides were sculpted, the subjects of the four faces were often independent and unconnected
- Here = first time a frieze, developed over all four sides, show figures variously engaged but all
united in one purpose
- Great length in relation to height needed a theme for which great number of participants would
be needed
- In practice limited to battle so they went for a procession instead
- Panathenaic procession:
• In honour of Athena’s birthday in July in which people of Athens brought new robe for Athena’s
statue every 4 years
• Robe (woven with pictures of mythical struggle between gods and Titans) spread over mast of
ship set on wheels, followed by girls carrying sacred implements, youths leading sacrificial
animals, chariots and horsemen
• Greatest single religious festival in Athenian calendar
• Unprecedented to depict non-mythological subject and decision to integrate all 4 sides into a
single composition with a single theme
• Generally believed that it is not a documentary record but a highly sophisticated work of art
and therefore highly selective
• Gives an ideal of the festival
• Originally thought horsemen = normal Athenians: first time ordinary people been depicted. If
true = hubris
• But Boardman’s theory: represent specific celebration of festival in which late the men who
died at Marathon (490 BC) participated
• 192 men (excluding charioteers) - 192 died at Marathon. Therefore showing heroes, not men
• Therefore the gods assembled to receive dead into realm of immortal fame and ignore peplos/
robe
• NB: gods turn their backs on central action and face approaching procession
• Visibility- practical problem- frieze was 40ft high- use of colour, including blue for background
helped, relief cut deeper at top than bottom (constant depth of 9 inch at top and 4 inch at
bottom) and the figures carved in 2D composition against background from which are not cut
free
• Designed so that participants in the frieze seem to accompany observer walking along beside
and in same direction
• West: preparation of procession comes together and moves along - North and South,
therefore two branches converge on front/ East of Parthenon
• Heads of all figures, whether mounted or on foot, seated/standing reach to the top of the frieze
= impression of an even pattern with no undue gaps
• Shows remarkable range of rhythms and subjects subordinated to a controlled plan
