DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15099#0079
59
the temple of Theseus, are casts of three of the metopes from
the northern side, being the first, second, and fourth, commencing
from the north east angle, and of the greater portion of the friezes
which decorated the pronaos and posticum. They were made at
Athens, by direction of the Earl of Elgin, from the sculptures
which then existed upon the temple, where they still remain.
The original marbles have been most lamentably injured, even
since the time when Pars made the drawings for Stuart, but
enough remains to enable the artist to pronounce that the figures
are powerful and well developed, the movements graceful and
simple, and the style altogether admirable, though there may be
traces of that archaic treatment from which Grecian sculpture was
not entirely emancipated before the erection of the Parthenon.2
The relief is bold and salient, approaching to the proportions of
the entire statue, the figures in some instances appearing to be
only slightly attached to the table of the marble. The frieze is in
as high relief as the metopes, differing in this respect from the
frieze of the Parthenon, the projection of which is very slight.
This may be easily accounted for by the difference of the circum-
stances under which they were presented to the eye of the spectator.
The metopes of the Parthenon were exposed to the full effect of the
sun, and their bold projections would thus produce a bright and
rich effect of light and shadow; and the spectator might view
them from any distance most suitable for that purpose. The
frieze, however, was placed within the colonnade, and the platform
of the temple was so raised, that the spectator could not see any
continuity of the subject without mounting upon the platform
and placing himself within the line of the columns; in which
case, the sculptures being about forty feet above his head, he
2 Mr. Dodwell (Classical Tour, vol. i. p. 363,) observes that they are of a grand and
heroic style, superior even to the metopes of the Parthenon; a high encomium, to
which, much as we admire these sculptures, we cannot entirely subscribe; it must
however be recollected, that our acquaintance with them is derived only from casts.
the temple of Theseus, are casts of three of the metopes from
the northern side, being the first, second, and fourth, commencing
from the north east angle, and of the greater portion of the friezes
which decorated the pronaos and posticum. They were made at
Athens, by direction of the Earl of Elgin, from the sculptures
which then existed upon the temple, where they still remain.
The original marbles have been most lamentably injured, even
since the time when Pars made the drawings for Stuart, but
enough remains to enable the artist to pronounce that the figures
are powerful and well developed, the movements graceful and
simple, and the style altogether admirable, though there may be
traces of that archaic treatment from which Grecian sculpture was
not entirely emancipated before the erection of the Parthenon.2
The relief is bold and salient, approaching to the proportions of
the entire statue, the figures in some instances appearing to be
only slightly attached to the table of the marble. The frieze is in
as high relief as the metopes, differing in this respect from the
frieze of the Parthenon, the projection of which is very slight.
This may be easily accounted for by the difference of the circum-
stances under which they were presented to the eye of the spectator.
The metopes of the Parthenon were exposed to the full effect of the
sun, and their bold projections would thus produce a bright and
rich effect of light and shadow; and the spectator might view
them from any distance most suitable for that purpose. The
frieze, however, was placed within the colonnade, and the platform
of the temple was so raised, that the spectator could not see any
continuity of the subject without mounting upon the platform
and placing himself within the line of the columns; in which
case, the sculptures being about forty feet above his head, he
2 Mr. Dodwell (Classical Tour, vol. i. p. 363,) observes that they are of a grand and
heroic style, superior even to the metopes of the Parthenon; a high encomium, to
which, much as we admire these sculptures, we cannot entirely subscribe; it must
however be recollected, that our acquaintance with them is derived only from casts.