The Central Part of the Eastern Frieze of the Parthenon

Abstract

Amongst the drawings in the Elgin Collection at the British Museum are many from the sculptures of the Parthenon made by William Pars in 1765–6. Two of the drawings representing the long middle slab of the Eastern Frieze, and the slab next to it on the left, are exceptional in not being merely pencil drawings; these are tinted with the brush in sepia and are highly finished and wonderfully delicate. They are not signed, but it may be safely assumed that they are by Pars. Pars was sent out with the Chandler expedition, organised by the Society of Dilettanti in 1764, partly for the purpose of completing the work of Stuart and Revett in Athens from 1751 to 1753. Pars was engaged for several months in drawing the sculptures of the Parthenon. This work, according to Chandler, he executed ‘with diligence, fidelity and courage.’ Courage was needed, for he drew the frieze of the cella from the stone beam of the peristyle. He recorded all of it that was then on the building, together with some slabs which had been removed from their places. At a meeting of the Society of Dilettanti on December 2, 1766, ‘A great variety of Views and Drawings of Basso relievos of the Temple of Minerva at Athens, and others, were produced by Mr. Pars, which appear'd to the Committee to be done with Taste and Accurateness.’ The original tinted view of the east front of the Temple now hanging in the Elgin Gallery shows his powers of observation and minute record. In this view the metopes have their subjects really drawn in little spaces not much more than a quarter of an inch square.