Cornell University Library Digital Collections

Parthenon frieze (North)

Title:
Parthenon frieze (North)
Collection:
Cornell Cast Collection
Date:
447-432 BCE
Accession:
423
Work Type:
casts (sculpture)
Extent:
94 height x 54 length x 4 thickness
Condition:
Broken on top and broken into 4 major pieces, drill holes on bottom and top, yellow varnish
Bibliography:
Tour of the Parthenon frieze, Greek Culture Ministry website:http://www.parthenonfrieze.gr/#/homeFlash animation reconstruction of the frieze:http://www.learn.columbia.edu/parthenon/flash/main.htm
Collecting Program:
Cornell Collections of Antiquities
Rights:
The images in the Cornell Collection of Antiquities: Casts are protected by copyright, and the copyright holders are their creators, generally Cornell University Library, Annetta Alexandridis, and Verity Platt. This collection of plaster casts owned by Cornell University was photographed by Cornell University Library, Alexandridis, Platt, and Andreya L. Mihaloew from 2010-2015, with funding from a Digital Collections in Arts and Sciences Grant to Annetta Alexandridis. Cornell is providing access to the materials for research and personal use.  The written permission of any copyright and other rights holders is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use that extends beyond what is authorized by fair use and other statutory exemptions. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. Please contact Annetta Alexandridis and Verity Platt for more information about this collection, or to request permission to use these images.
Disclaimer:
Items in the Cornell Cast Collection are meant for inventory and reference purposes. Metadata may not be complete in all cases.

About the collection

Cornell University once owned a collection of plaster casts of sculptures, gemstones and inscriptions from different cultures and periods such as the ancient Near East, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and Rome (the majority), the European Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the 19th century. In addition, architectural models and details of architectural sculpture from the above-mentioned periods formed part of the collection together with more abstract drawing models for art students. This collection must have comprised about 2000 pieces (ca. 1000 being reproductions of gemstones), only a part of which has survived, often in very bad condition and distributed all over campus. The present database has several goals: curatorial, didactic, documentary and scholarly. First, it will give an idea of what has been preserved and is a step towards reuniting the remaining holdings, at least on a virtual basis. Moreover, the database can serve as the starting point for further possible restoration of the casts, since it allows for assembling the fragments of destroyed sculptures that sometimes are stored in different locations. Once complete, the database will help students and faculty alike to familiarize themselves with major monuments and artworks of the past.