The Parthenon

[[The Parthenon]]

The Parthenon is one of the most famous buildings in the world. It was built circa 447-438 BC in Athens, and once housed a 12m tall statue of the patron goddess, Athena Parthenos.

It looks like it's in ruins today (and it is), but considering what it's been through - vandalism by Christians (who regarded some of the decorative images as pagan), a gunpowder explosion (when it was used to store ammunition), and the removal of its statues by Lord Elgin, it's actually in pretty good shape!

Many of the marbles, for example the metopes and pedimental figures, are in the British Museum. Some are in Athens, in the Acropolis Museum, which is well worth a visit.

Today tourists are often disappointed by the fact that the Parthenon is covered in scaffolding, as it is in this picture.

The scaffolding is due to the restoration and preservation of the remaining structure, and due to the painstaking nature of such work, the scaffolding is likely to be there for a long time to come.

Yet this is no reason to despair. The restoration of the Parthenon is one more element in its 2000 year history, and by having the scaffolding in their pictures, tourists automatically give the Parthenon a context within their photo albums. The scaffolding, in its own way, is part of the Parthenon's story.

And you thought you were carrying a heavy load...

[[Caryatids]]

 It's okay, these aren't real women :) I'm sure that would be against health and safety laws or something.

These are caryatids, stone columns shaped in the form of young women, which hold up the roof of the north porch, hiding a supporting beam.

Each one is individualised, with slight variations in hair and drapery.

The question might be asked, why make them in stone? Surely bronze would replicate the look of skin better? Well, as scholars such as Neer have pointed out, a bronze column would actually bend under the weight of the roof.

Not all the caryatids are there. I've blogged previously about the one in the British Museum - it is said that when she was removed, the other caryatids could be heard wailing for their lost sister. Eerie.

Sticking out your tongue - Gorgon Style

[[Gorgon]]
Pretty much everyone knows the story of Perseus and the Gorgon. The Gorgon, called Medusa, had snakes for hair, and the rather convenient power of turning any man she looked at into stone (she'd presumably never run out of ideas for garden gnomes then). Perseus managed to kill Medusa by watching her in the reflection of his shield - that way, he could see where to thrust his sword, but not get petrified.

So as Medusa is a snake-haired, man-petrifying monster with her tongue protruding, you might wonder why on earth I'm featuring her on this blog for beautiful things.

It's because of the pathos which is shown by the sculpture. This figure of Medusa was part of the west pediment at the Temple of Artemis at Corcyra, from around 580BC. She is shown (out of the frame of this picture) running sideways, on her knees. There were originally figures of her two children, Chrysaor and Pegasus (yup. The winged horse) exploding from her cut neck. As she still has her neck in one piece here, this tells us that the sculptor has chosen to portray this myth synoptically, that is, all at one go rather than in separate frames.

So in one moment, this disgusting monster is killed (whoops of celebration), yet she becomes a mother to two beautiful children. It is this simultaneity of contrasting emotion which makes this pediment a success.

This photo is actually of a plaster cast in the Cambridge Cast Gallery - the original, being in the Corfu Museum, is rather too far away to photograph!

A Bride of Hades

[[Phrasikleia]]

This statue, slightly over life-size, is the grave marker of a young woman who died in Ancient Greece before her wedding day.

The inscription says she will 'always be called kore', which means maiden, since she would remain a virgin forever.

This statue, like many statues from Ancient Greece, was originally painted; she had patterns on her dress, and her jewellery was picked out in yellow and gold.

She was found in a pit along with a statue of a male, and although some people have suggested the two statues were made by the same sculptor, this is just speculation.

Her inscription also says the statue is the sema, or sign, of Phrasikleia. Yet it looks so life-like: is the statue a reminder of her absence from this world, or an attempt to conjure up her presence?

The ambiguity is probably never meant to be solved.

Ancient or Modern?

[[Cycladic figurine]]

When you first see this, when would you think this was made?

It looks like something one might find in the Tate Modern; Henry Moore seems a likely culprit.

But in fact, this was made around 2500BC!

So naturally, this lady is in the British Museum. Over 4000 years old and she hasn't a wrinkle.

These figurines were originally highly painted, although no one knows exactly how the paint would have looked.

As is usual in museums, the figure is shown standing up, but they actually can't do so without the stands the museums equip them with. A more natural pose would have been for them to lie down.

So what would this mean? Were they meant to lie as grave goods? Dolls? Or some religious function that's been forgotten?

Whatever their function, this is one style that hasn't gone out of date.

A Hairstyle Set in Stone

[[Caryatid]]

In the British Museum, nestled amongst other treasures of the world, stands a lone column. Yet there is something distinctly odd about this one - it's shaped like a young woman.

This is one of the famous caryatids from the Erechtheum temple on the Athenian Acropolis, which was built during the 5th century BC.

Columns in Ancient Greece typically had 'fluting' - the lines down the column. Here, they are replaced by the folds of her drapery. Similarly, the tops of the columns, 'capitals' take the form of an ornamental basket-style design on the maiden's head.

This photo is taken from the back, so that you can see a detail often unnoticed: each of the caryatids is slightly personalised, even in terms of their hairstyle.

The maiden in the British Museum has waving hair, gently pulled back. Her hair is thick, not only for reasons of aesthetics, but because the extra bulk would have helped stabilise the weight of the roof.

She is a marvel of both engineering and fashion, creating a surreal effect - standing at the Erechtheum century after century, supporting a work of art whilst being one herself.

A Striking Sculpture of Laocoon

[[Laocoon]]

This cast is of a 1st century AD Roman copy of a Hellenistic original sculpture (geddit? It's a copy of a copy), and it lives in the Cast Gallery in Cambridge.

The older man in the middle is Laocoon, and the two young ones are his children. Here's the story.

Laocoon was a priest. During the Trojan War, towards the end, he saw the Wooden Horse about to be brought in. He warned the Trojans not to accept it, but did they listen?

Of course not.

However, as the gods were supporting the Greeks (who gave this deceptive gift), they sent snakes to kill him and his sons.

This sculpture shows the desperate, futile struggle as Laocoon and his sons attempt to fend off the snake.

What's amazing about this sculpture is the sheer intensity of it. Laocoon's head is tilted back; he looks forlorn, and yet towards the sky, as if to ask, 'Why?'. His sons turn towards their father, who is helpless, and the children themselves are ensnared.

The viewer feels helpless - the snake is so closely entwined with the three bodies that there is nowhere which we can grab onto, and the dynamic pose of the figures tells us we do not have time to run for help.

This is more than a freezeframe- the figures seem to be struggling before our eyes, even though we know they're not real.

The Laocoon group is thus a triumph of both emotion and motion.