Showing posts with label Early and High Classical Period. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Early and High Classical Period. Show all posts

Monday, October 6, 2008

Chryselephantine

Phidias, Athena Parthenos, c. 438 B.C. Model of the lost statue, which was approx. 38' tall. Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.

Chryselephantine: fashioned of gold and ivory. This particular statue had been destroyed in antiquity, long before the 19th century. It's been said that the Parthenon was designed around it. To accommodate its huge size, the cella had to be wider than usual and this, in turn, dictated the width of the 8-column facade at a time when 6 columns were the norm. Other famed statues of the same period include Athena and Nike. (Gardner)

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Frieze

Athena batteling Alkyoneos, detail of Altar of Zeus frieze, Pergamon. Marble, 7' 6 high. Staatliche Museen, Berlin. (Hellenistic Period)
Procession of elders and maidens, detail of east frieze of the Parthenon, c 447-438 B.C. Marble, 3' 6" high. Louvre, Paris.

Seated gods and goddesses, detail of the east frieze of the Parthenon, c 447-438 B.C. Marble, 3' 6" high. Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece.
(This photo is a bit fuzzy, I know, but the frieze is notated on the upper left side in the inner, top bracket.)
The part of the entablature between the architrave and the cornice; also, any sculptured or ornamented band in a building, on furniture, etc. (Gardner)