Parthenon Frieze Reduction – Item #539 Caproni Collection

2.75 Inches High x 9.625 Inches Wide x .5 Inches Deep 

Upon arriving in London in 1811 from Scotland and seeing Lord Elgin’s collection of Parthenon sculptures, John Henning (1771-1851) asked Lord Elgin for permission to study them. The Scottish sculptor was one of the first artists to do so. Henning drew the reliefs and then sculpted miniatures of them in ivory but, disliking the outcome, instead carved negatives in slate from which plaster casts could be made. He spent 12 years drawing and sculpting the Parthenon and Phigalia (Bassae) friezes. His reproductions, at 1:20 scale, are extremely detailed copies of the original sculptures although at times he did take artistic license and sculpt missing elements. Henning’s miniatures of the Parthenon friezes were offered for sale by the British Museum in boxed sets. Unfortunately, Henning could not copyright his detailed sculptures, and they were copied and sold by others.

The Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, is an astounding example of Classical Greek architecture and art. It was built by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates while the supervisor, and also the artistic director, for the project was the sculptor Phidias. Situated on the Acropolis in Athens, the Parthenon, at its prime, was a temple of white marble with countless colorful sculptures. Today, it is partially in ruins. The frieze that surrounded the cella, or the interior structure, still exists, but is divided among many museums around the world. The Acropolis Museum and the British Museum hold the majority of the 115 blocks, which formed the 160 meter- (or 525 foot-) long frieze. The narrative is about the procession that took place on the final day of the festival that honored Athena, the Great Panathenaia.

This reduction features panels III, IV, and V of the Western frieze.

Artist: John Henning

Museum: Examples of Henning’s casts and molds are in the British Museum, London, and Paisley Museum, Paisley, Scotland

Origin: The Parthenon – Western Frieze, Athens

Time Period: Modern, early 19th century

1911 Catalog ID # – 8057 Slab II

Sources:

Choremi, A. “The Parthenon Frieze. West Frieze.” The Parthenon Frieze. English translation by M. Caskey. Ministry of Culture – Acropolis Restoration Service – First Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities – Department of Information and Education, and National Documentation Centre – National Hellenic Research Foundation, 2009, http://repository.parthenonfrieze.gr/frieze/handle/10442/w.

“The Frieze.” Acropolis Museum, http:///preview.asp?image=00032937001.

“Parthenon.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon#Architecture.