French Vintage Reproduction Parthenon Frieze Panel

Dimensions: 42 ¼” H x 59 ⅜” W x 4” D

The Parthenon, that postcard image from the Acropolis of Athens, Greece, was once a great temple of white marble and a staggering program of sculptures to enhance the architecture from floor to ceiling. Built in the 5th century BCE for the goddess Athena, the structure is mostly in ruins now with its treasures lost, looted, or held in the collections of major museums. This piece is a 20th century French reproduction of one section of the pictorial frieze that would have wrapped around the interior structure (measuring over 500 feet altogether) telling a narrative about a procession toward the Acropolis involving many distinct characters, these two horsemen included. In this panel, two men on horseback make their way to the temple among the many others in the procession, note the animal hide draped on the rider to the right side with two clawed feet waving as they gallop along. Stamped on the left-facing edge by the Atelier de Moulage du Louvre (the plaster casting workshop at the Musee du Louvre, Paris). Please view the detailed images to see the current condition.