Parthenon Research Paper

Parthenon, the Ancient Greek temple that was constructed thousands of years ago, for which its traces can be captured all along the history of Western architecture and even in the present day. To modern eyes, structures like the porticoes on the exterior of Edinburgh National Gallery are no longer surprising to see, unlike how Brunelleschi was influenced inevitably by the Pantheon when he travelled to Rome. Arguably, the explicit form and style of the Parthenon has already become a language of architecture that has been, and still being widely used in various types of construction. This stylistic language is frequently associated with religious and political structures, and it also influenced other different art forms. This essay will be

Thirdly, the frieze, which is considered as the symbol of the remarkable extravagance of the building. It is believed that the frieze depicts the Panathenaic procession, as most of the standard components are sculpted, such as the sacrificial animals, players of aulos and lyre, humans on foot with ritual equipments, and seated twelve Olympians. Neils, The Parthenon, p. 201. All the sculpted figures are depicted with natural form and coherence with the space in the building. This can be seen from the north frieze, where the row of eleven chariots not only suggests a sense of motion within the space of the frieze, but also leads the movement of the viewer in the real space. In addition, the comparison is often made between the Parthenon and the Hephaesteum, in terms of their similar combination of a Doric facade with an Ionic frieze, whereas the latter has a significantly smaller size, and its frieze with carved figures only covers two porches. Jenkins, The Parthenon Frieze, p. 10. Lastly, there was a thirty-nine-foot-high statue of Athena ornamented with ivory and gold in the Parthenon, this again highlighted the level of the lavishness of the building, which then reflects its importance and purpose of