Parthenon

Question 1

Metope with foot lapith pros

Answer 1

• centaur could be holding a weapon behind him, head in the corner
  
  • holes- something may have been attached
• still dramatic and vigorous

Question 2

Metope with foot lapith cons

Answer 2

• very static verticals at the top- no clear sense of line in how the two figures interact
• leg doesn’t look quite right- frontal vs side-facing legs vs torso
• the feet are the main focus- not particularly engaging in terms of action- weapons are not the main features, does not feel very heroic- especially the bent feet- cartoonish
• eye is drawn to the pubic area- feels undignified
• drapery is in very shallow relief, unlike the drapery on the one with the victorious centaur- lack of sense of depth
• cartoonish face- centaur
• modelling of the torsos- too much musculature, exaggerated
• both relegated to the top corners in favour of mundane wrestling poses, ineffective composition

Question 3

metope with lion skin centaur pros

Answer 3

• variation- focus on pathos rather than victory- link to Parthenon function as a whole- monument to war: people did die, tragedy of war, wider message about war that Athenians would recognise
• Lapith lies flat on the compositional plane, Centaur rides back with tail flaring up behind him○ dynamism
• lion skin- perhaps a victory token from another Lapith death
• behind him- drinking krater used as a weapon
• sense of vigorous movement- flailing hide and tail, weapon wielded, legs up
• affect of diagonals- dominates the movement
• overlapping legs at the bottom and over the hide at the right- richness and complexity of the construction
  ○ (could be too busy)- however, empty space at the top and different areas of complexity make it more balanced

○ flailing arms and lion skin adds to the sense of his barbarity and wildness (hard to tell w/o face)
○ sense of a heroic death of the Lapith against a fierce enemy
- contrast btwn lion skin drapery and drapery on the Lapith

○ movement vs stillness, defeat vs victory

○ crumpled drapery and crumpled figure- pathetic, makes you feel sorry for the figure, contrasts usual use of drapery as thick, rich and opulent

• modelling of the flesh is effective- high classical style, full, almost exaggerated modelling, figure in rotation- profile legs to frontal at torso- body response to twist- pathos

Question 4

metope with lion skin cons

Answer 4

○ all muscles are tensed in both figures- not realistic but helps to create a dynamic movement

Question 5

metope with lapith drapery pros

Answer 5

• he pulls back his head and is about to strike- moment of theatrical- dramatic tableau with cloak, wears fine cloak- celebration○ chance for sculptor to show off ○ dramatic catenary folds, billows over the arm
• variety in the folds- enriches the viewing experience, volume of cloth- rich garment, lavish (high classical style) versus early classical severe style, would have made the figure stand out
• equally muscular- to admire the centaur? ○ horse body reduced to emphasise the strength and humanity of the centaur- shows that the victory is hard-won, demonstrates that the artist is interested in the human anatomy
• high relief
• use of lines ○ use of diagonals rather than static verticals and horizontals to capture dynamism and chaos of war, rich contrast to the curves of the drapery behind, rich and complex composition- harmonises
• opposite action- pointing in different directions- opposite tension

Question 6

metope with lapith drapery cons

Answer 6

• deliberately exaggerated heroic features beyond what is naturalistic- hallmark of high classical style- unrealistically toned abs
  • heads missing- less detail

Question 7

parthenon metopes context

Answer 7

sack of the Persians in around 480

Question 8

when was the parthenon built

Answer 8

447-438 BCE

Question 9

why were the centaurs seen as fearful

Answer 9

to serve as a reminder of barbarian destruction and how the Greeks must be ever vigilant to keep it at bay

by portraying the enemy as powerful and dangerous it makes the Greek victory look even better

Question 10

context for the Centauromachy

Answer 10

Pirithous, king of Lapiths, is celebrating the wedding of Hippodamia, invites the centaurs to celebrate with them- can be very unruly
- semi-bestial
- trying to rape the Lapith women after drinking too much wine

Question 11

East pediment content

Answer 11

Birth of Athena
born from Zeus’s head (in the middle, gone now)
news carried to both corners
left corner- Helios’s chariot (sun)
right corner- Selene/Nyx’s chariot (moon)- temporal element

mostly lost
reclining figures
reclining male nude on the left is relaxed holds a drinking vessel

three goddesses on the right are at ease- rest on lap showing an intimacy- news of Athena’s birth has not reached them and fills space well
drapery is very high classical- thin drapery that clings to their bodies (breasts and thighs very visible)
delicate material is contrasted with thicker cloak, deep folds create shadows- emphasise calmness of figures

Question 12

West pediment content

Answer 12

Athena and Poseidon
contest over the city
majority are lost

Podeidon’s torso survives- very muscular, all around sculpting so displayed before attached, contrasts clothed Athena
Ilissos RIver personified on the left- locates events between 2 rivers
twiste dbodies, anatonmy realistic, ribs not protruding, flesh softer

Question 13

ionic frieze facts

Answer 13

• inaccessible, behind the metopes and colunade that surrounded the temple so could not be seen
  shows Panathenaic procession starts on the west side and walked along the north and south side to reach the entrance (same way as visitors would have walked to reach the entrance- mimic real life worshippers)

Question 14

ionic frieze content

Answer 14

• west- men gathering their horses and women
• mix of men with horses and on horseback, signalling more to join
• distinct- some galloping, some standing calmly, some neighing, as little empty space as possible
• women- fully clothed, modest, variation and repetition
• chiton and himation, variation with no symmetry or repetition
• east- presentation of the peplos and the gods
• climax of the festival- peplos is shown
• framed by seated gods, backs turned to dedication, do they care? face procession
• Hera, Hermes (travellers hat and sandals), Dionysus (leaning on now missing thyrsus), Demeter (torch) and Ares (bronze spear resting on shoulder) together, no repetition in poses
• Hera and Zeus together, bridal gesture, thin chiton emphasis on her breasts and femininity, seem to be in deep conversation

Question 15

metope content on each side

Answer 15

east- gigantomachy
south- centauromachy
west- amazonomachy
north- trojan war