DOI article:
Essay VII: The central slab of the Parthenon frieze and the Copenhagen plaque
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11444#0263
VII.] THE CENTRAL SLAB OF THE PARTHENON FRIEZE. 233
in Strassburg and mentioned the discovery of the Louvre plaque
to Professor Michaelis. On my showing him a proof of Plates
IX. and X., he was very much struck with the undoubted
evidence, presented by this collocation, of the identity between
the terra-cotta and the Parthenon marble. He informed me
that Professor Eug. Petersen (now at Prague) had seen a small
terra-cotta fragment, representing a boy holding a peplos, in
the Museum at Copenhagen (PI. XL), and had pointed out
the identity of this representation with the one on the Parthe-
non frieze.
Professor Petersen informed me that he had written a notice
of this fragment in the Archiiologische Zeitung for 1877 (p. 136).
I found upon referring to his article that all he wrote seemed,
as far as it went, to conform to what I expected—or rather
hoped for. I then wrote to Professor L. Miiller, the Director of
the Royal Museum of Antiquities at Copenhagen, who has since
then been most obliging in furthering my inquiries, for the
exact dimensions and, if possible, for a photograph of the plaque.
These he kindly sent me, and the dimensions as well as the
look of the work as presented in the photograph seemed to
point out that this was a part of the same work as the Louvre
plaque. Still in such cases first-hand knowledge is of the
greatest importance. To feel and see the work itself is always
the final proof for the enquirer. Mere was a fragment in
Copenhagen which was probably a part of the same compo-
sition as a fragment in Paris, both dating back to the great
dead past of Greek antiquity—nay, the very piece which, in
this long frieze, was immediately beside, and joined on to the
Paris fragment.
It was not however till the middle of September that I
was able to start for Denmark. It was a fortunate circum-
stance that Professor Brunn, whom I met at Munich, was on his
way to St Petersburg. He kindly examined the Hermitage
collection for me. Since then I hear from him, that, from
the Campana collection, there are marbles, vases, and bronzes,
but no terra-cottas at St Petersburg.
The first glance at the Copenhagen fragment proved its
adjoining the Louvre plaque. A full account of this, and a further discussion on the
nature of all these plaques will be found in note F at the end of this Essay.
in Strassburg and mentioned the discovery of the Louvre plaque
to Professor Michaelis. On my showing him a proof of Plates
IX. and X., he was very much struck with the undoubted
evidence, presented by this collocation, of the identity between
the terra-cotta and the Parthenon marble. He informed me
that Professor Eug. Petersen (now at Prague) had seen a small
terra-cotta fragment, representing a boy holding a peplos, in
the Museum at Copenhagen (PI. XL), and had pointed out
the identity of this representation with the one on the Parthe-
non frieze.
Professor Petersen informed me that he had written a notice
of this fragment in the Archiiologische Zeitung for 1877 (p. 136).
I found upon referring to his article that all he wrote seemed,
as far as it went, to conform to what I expected—or rather
hoped for. I then wrote to Professor L. Miiller, the Director of
the Royal Museum of Antiquities at Copenhagen, who has since
then been most obliging in furthering my inquiries, for the
exact dimensions and, if possible, for a photograph of the plaque.
These he kindly sent me, and the dimensions as well as the
look of the work as presented in the photograph seemed to
point out that this was a part of the same work as the Louvre
plaque. Still in such cases first-hand knowledge is of the
greatest importance. To feel and see the work itself is always
the final proof for the enquirer. Mere was a fragment in
Copenhagen which was probably a part of the same compo-
sition as a fragment in Paris, both dating back to the great
dead past of Greek antiquity—nay, the very piece which, in
this long frieze, was immediately beside, and joined on to the
Paris fragment.
It was not however till the middle of September that I
was able to start for Denmark. It was a fortunate circum-
stance that Professor Brunn, whom I met at Munich, was on his
way to St Petersburg. He kindly examined the Hermitage
collection for me. Since then I hear from him, that, from
the Campana collection, there are marbles, vases, and bronzes,
but no terra-cottas at St Petersburg.
The first glance at the Copenhagen fragment proved its
adjoining the Louvre plaque. A full account of this, and a further discussion on the
nature of all these plaques will be found in note F at the end of this Essay.