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#0264
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ESSAYS ON THE ART OF PHEIDIAS.
[VII.
entire identity with the terra-cotta at Paris, not only in the
dimensions and the peculiar technique of bas-relief work, but
also in the quality and consistency of the terra-cotta itself, the
colour, the peculiar working of the surface, and the same traces
of a slight layer of a ground colour appearing in small spots
here and there.
Prof. Petersen believes he has found traces of blue colour
on the ground about the peplos and the neck of the boy. Prof.
Mullcr doubts of the presence of such traces, nor could I notice
any. The traces of a whitish colour, which I have just alluded
to, and which appear distinctly on both these plaques in the two
plates (IX. and XL), were a kind of ground colour that was given
to all the ancient terra-cottas before the upper coating was put
on. It can be noticed on many of the numerous terra-cottas
in every museum of antiquities. It would be something like
the white of egg that is used by gilders with us as a fixative
for the outer colour, as well as for the purpose of giving uni-
formity of tone in avoiding the appearance of the irregularities
and the bare material from shining through the outer coating.
The whole fragment is 16 centimetres in height by 14 centi-
metres in width : the thickness cannot be computed, as the
fragment is buried in the wall. The height of the relief from
its ground in the highest parts is 18 millimetres.
A close examination of the piece itself proved beyond a
doubt that this terra-cotta fragment, together with the Paris
plaque, formed part of a terra-cotta frieze. As in the case of
the marble frieze and all similar works of whatever material,
a long band of this kind was composed of sections or slabs
which were fitted together. In this case the Copenhagen and
the Paris plaques form respectively the end and the beginning
of immediately adjoining slabs. All this evidence was made
complete when finally Prof. Miiller had a cast of his fragment
made and sent on to me, so that now it was possible to study
at leisure and to examine and compare side by side the two
casts taken from the Paris and Copenhagen originals, and both
could be taken to the British Museum and " collated " with the
marble frieze (Plates XI. and XII.).
The general proportions of the figures on these terra-cotta
fragments bear the same relation to one another as that ob-
ESSAYS ON THE ART OF PHEIDIAS.
[VII.
entire identity with the terra-cotta at Paris, not only in the
dimensions and the peculiar technique of bas-relief work, but
also in the quality and consistency of the terra-cotta itself, the
colour, the peculiar working of the surface, and the same traces
of a slight layer of a ground colour appearing in small spots
here and there.
Prof. Petersen believes he has found traces of blue colour
on the ground about the peplos and the neck of the boy. Prof.
Mullcr doubts of the presence of such traces, nor could I notice
any. The traces of a whitish colour, which I have just alluded
to, and which appear distinctly on both these plaques in the two
plates (IX. and XL), were a kind of ground colour that was given
to all the ancient terra-cottas before the upper coating was put
on. It can be noticed on many of the numerous terra-cottas
in every museum of antiquities. It would be something like
the white of egg that is used by gilders with us as a fixative
for the outer colour, as well as for the purpose of giving uni-
formity of tone in avoiding the appearance of the irregularities
and the bare material from shining through the outer coating.
The whole fragment is 16 centimetres in height by 14 centi-
metres in width : the thickness cannot be computed, as the
fragment is buried in the wall. The height of the relief from
its ground in the highest parts is 18 millimetres.
A close examination of the piece itself proved beyond a
doubt that this terra-cotta fragment, together with the Paris
plaque, formed part of a terra-cotta frieze. As in the case of
the marble frieze and all similar works of whatever material,
a long band of this kind was composed of sections or slabs
which were fitted together. In this case the Copenhagen and
the Paris plaques form respectively the end and the beginning
of immediately adjoining slabs. All this evidence was made
complete when finally Prof. Miiller had a cast of his fragment
made and sent on to me, so that now it was possible to study
at leisure and to examine and compare side by side the two
casts taken from the Paris and Copenhagen originals, and both
could be taken to the British Museum and " collated " with the
marble frieze (Plates XI. and XII.).
The general proportions of the figures on these terra-cotta
fragments bear the same relation to one another as that ob-