The Parthenon Frieze

The Parthenon frieze, one of Western civilization’s major monuments, has been the subject of intense study for over two hundred years. Most scholarship has sought an overall interpretation of the monument’s iconography and therefore neglects the visual language of the sculpture, an essential tool for a full understanding of the narrative. Dr Jenifer Neils’s study provides an in-depth examination of the frieze which decodes its visual language, but also analyzes its conception and design, style and content, and impact on the visual arts over time. Unique in its wide-ranging approach, The Parthenon Frieze also brings ethical reasoning to bear on the issue of repatriation as part of the ongoing debate on the Elgin Marbles.

• Uses other art forms (vases, sculptures, etc.) to elucidate the frieze • Discusses impact of frieze on later art (e.g. Renaissance, Impressionism) • Relates frieze to cultural property debate (Elgin Marbles)

Preface; Introduction; Polis: the context of ritual; Paradeigma: designing the frieze; Techne: carving the frieze; Mimesis: the high classical style; Iconographia: identifying the players; Iconologia: interpreting the frieze; Kleos: the impact of the frieze; Thauma: whose heritage?

‘… a valuable book that will appeal to specialists and non-specialists alike … The Parthenon Frieze will certainly find a place in many libraries, both institutional and personal, and it establishes high standards for other scholars aspiring to reexamine a significant monument of classical art.‘ The Classical Journal