Iris , from the west pediment of the Parthenon, c. By around B. Following the defeat of a Persian invasion in — B. In drama and philosophy, literature, art and architecture Athens was second to none. This paid for one of the biggest public building projects ever seen in Greece, which included the Parthenon. The temple known as the Parthenon was built on the Acropolis of Athens between and B.
It was part of a vast building program masterminded by the Athenian statesman Perikles. Inside the temple stood a colossal statue representing Athena, patron goddess of the city. The statue, which no longer exists, was made of gold and ivory and was the work of the celebrated sculptor Pheidias. The building itself was decorated with marble sculptures representing scenes from Athenian cult and mythology.
There are three categories of architectural sculpture. The frieze carved in low relief ran high up around all four sides of the building inside the colonnades. The metopes carved in high relief were placed at the same level as the frieze above the architrave surmounting the columns on the outside of the temple. The pediment sculptures carved in the round filled the triangular gables at each end.
Although the building was to undergo a number of changes , it remained largely intact until the seventeenth century. The early Christians turned the temple into a church, adding an apse at the east end. It was probably at this time that the sculptures representing the birth of Athena were removed from the centre of the east pediment and many of the metopes were defaced.
The Parthenon served as a church until Athens was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in the fifteenth century, when it became a mosque. In , during the Venetian siege of the Acropolis, the defending Turks were using the Parthenon as a store for gunpowder, which was ignited by the Venetian bombardment. The collection is a unique resource to explore the richness, diversity and complexity of all human history, our shared humanity.
The strength of the collection is its breadth and depth which allows millions of visitors an understanding of the cultures of the world and how they interconnect — whether through trade, migration, conquest, conflict, or peaceful exchange.
The Parthenon Sculptures are an integral part of that story and a vital element in this interconnected world collection, particularly in the way in which they convey the influences between Egyptian, Persian, Greek and Roman cultures.
We share this collection with the widest possible public, lending objects all over the world and making images and information on over four million objects from the collection available online. The approach of the Acropolis Museum and the British Museum are complementary: the Acropolis Museum provides an in-depth view of the ancient history of its city, the British Museum offers a sense of the wider cultural context and sustained interaction with the neighbouring civilisations of Egypt and the Near East which contributed to the unique achievements of ancient Greece.
Read the Trustees' statement about the Parthenon Sculptures. These titles, and others, are available in the British Museum Book Shop. Skip to main content Please enable JavaScript in your web browser to get the best experience. Read more about our cookie policy Accept and close the cookie policy. The Parthenon Sculptures. Show image caption Close image caption Visitors looking at the Parthenon sculptures in Room The Parthenon sculptures on Collection online.
Share the page Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. What are they? Where are they from? How did they come to the British Museum? What has been requested? Status of discussions There are no current discussions with the Greek Government on this issue. Photo by Donald Macbeth.
The Parthenon sculptures in the British Museum are feet around 75 metres of the original feet around metres of frieze, 15 of the 92 metopes, 17 figures from the two pediments, and various pieces of architecture from the building. Sculptures from the west pediment of the Parthenon on display in Room 18 in the British Museum. About half of the surviving sculptures remained in Athens, including extensive remains of the metopes especially from the east, north and west of the building , the frieze especially the north and west sides and the pediments.
In the s the Greek government began a programme of restoration of the Acropolis monuments. As part of this work, all the architectural sculptures from the Parthenon have been removed to the Acropolis Museum, and all the Parthenon sculptures are now museum objects. Most of the sculptures are roughly equally divided between Athens and London, but important pieces are also held by other major European museum including the Louvre and Vatican Museums.
The Parthenon sculptures have inspired artists and writers for generations, from John Keats to Henry Moore.
Perhaps the most influential of these was the French sculptor Auguste Rodin , who saw in Pheidias a kindred spirit and artistic mentor.
Auguste Rodin — , Study of the Parthenon south frieze cavalcade. Graphite and pen and ink, before Photo: Jean de Calan. The Parthenon sculptures are iconic works of art.
They play a central part in the story of art and will continue to inspire artists in the future. Discover how Rodin was inspired by the Parthenon sculptures and see a selection of them on display in the exhibition Rodin and the art of ancient Greece 26 April — 29 July Sponsored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Map Data. Terms of Use.
Report a map error. Objects in focus An introduction to the Parthenon and its sculptures The Parthenon in Athens is one of the most famous buildings from the ancient world. Its sculptures are greatly admired today. Here we take a closer look at why the building was so famous, and why these iconic works mark a key moment in the global history of art. John Bailey — , View of the Parthenon from the Propylea. Hand-coloured aquatint after Edward Dodwell, British Museum 11 January More stories.
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