Floor | Greek Art
Parthenon Frieze Gallery
After the gods in the pediments and the battles for law and order in mythical prehistory on the metopes, the ancient visitor to the Parthenon was finally confronted with the inhabitants of Athens themselves on the frieze running around the exterior of the central cult space, or cella. Created between 447 and 442 BCE, the frieze shows the sacrificial procession that took place every four years at the Panathenaic Festival over a total length of 160 meters. Most of the panels of the frieze are now in London. We suggest that you first look at the reconstruction of the west side in our museum and then return here with a click. Dramaturgically, the west side cleverly characterizes the nervousness of the horses and riders as they prepare for the procession. The rendering of the horses indicates intensive observation of nature and exceptional sculptural skill, similar to what we can observe in our masterpiece in the metopes room. At the far left end of the west side, a horse and rider come to rest, the procession forms, and finally the participants proceed in two groups on the two long sides in an orderly and harmonious manner towards their goal.