The Parthenon Frieze
The Parthenon Frieze
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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)
Reviews & endorsements
"This handsomely mounted, comprehensive, and persuasively argued book is a joy to read."
-Bryn Mawr Classical Review
"Neils has done us a great service by collating the vast body of material on the frieze thus far, and by providing new and stimulating ways to think about the frieze in its visual and historical context. All this is achieved in an inviting format, which is a pleasure to read and to which I will return again and again."
-CAA Reviews
"A superb presentation of a subject central to classical archaeology...All the chapters will be of great interest to scholars, and particularly to students, as they represent up-to-date treatments of enduring problems."
-William R. Biers, University of Missouri-Columbia
"[Hartwick recommends] The Parthenon Frieze as a substantial contribution to the never-ending debate on this enigmatic and, therefore, all-the-more-fascinating artistic creation of the Classical period."
-Classical Bulletin
"Jenifer Neils' Parthenon Frieze provides an excellent survey of its subject...Neils admirably controls the scholarship on the frieze and the pertinent comparative material. She presents often-conflicting scholarly opinions with balance and clarity and frequently offers her own, fresh point of view. The questions the book ponders and its elegant and jargon-free writing make it both an easy read and a welcome journey...I recommend the book as a must-have for anyone with any interest in the Parthenon."
-Marjorie Venit, University of Maryland, The Classical Outlook
Product details
- Published: September 2001
- Format: Hardback
- ISBN: 9780521641616
- Length: 316 pages
- Dimensions: 263 × 188 × 26 mm
- Weight: 0.995kg
- Contains: 174 b/w illus.
- Availability: Temporarily unavailable - available from TBC
Table of Contents
- 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?
- Show more
