parthenon metope 27 drew layton. facts c447-442 bc currently held in the british museum found on...
TRANSCRIPT
Parthenon Metope 27
Drew Layton
Facts
c447-442 BC Currently held in the British
museum Found on the Acropolis Pentelic Marble Damage in the 1600s by a
bombshell
Definitions
Metope - a square space between triglyphs in a Doric frieze
Triglyph - a tablet in a Doric frieze with three vertical grooves alternating with metopes
Lapith - a member of a Thessalian people who fought and defeated the centaurs
Centaur - a creature with the head, arms, and torso of a man and the body and legs of a horse
The story behind the Metopes
About the Centauromachy, a battle between the Lapiths and Centaurs
A Lapith weeding that was disrupted by the drunken centaurs who attempted to abduct the Lapith women
Part of one myth suggests it was because the centaurs felt insulted because they were not invited to the celebrations
Another they were invited by the Lapiths and just got drunk and rowdy
This all resulted in the battle known as the Centauromachy
About the metope
In this metope the Lapith is holding the centaur by the back of the neck and pulling him back
Lapith possibly about to strike Centaur with right hand
Showing the Lapith as superior to centaur
Represents the Greeks triumph over their enemies?
About the Lapith
Holding/Wearing a chlamys Lapith represents Greeks? Missing head so can’t see expression Looking at other metopes the Lapith’s
have emotionless faces Realistic representation of a human? Heroic nudity
About the Centaur
Represents everyone else? Persians? Other enemies
Missing head so can’t see expression Centaurs were monsters and viewed
lower than the Greeks Human part is well defined with veins
and a rib cage
About the carving
Deep carving, almost free standing at points
The two figures have similar body positions
Kind of a mirroring between the two bodies
Opposing arcs of the Lapith’s body and the Centaur’s
Woodford says
‘The boldness of the design is matched by the quality of the execution: the telling depiction rippling muscles and tensed bodies contrasts with the geometric purity of the folds behind it’