How to See the British Museum in Four VisitsJerrold, Blanchard
History
How to See the British Museum in Four Visits
Jerrold, Blanchard
British Museum
These are marked from 26 to 46. On the first of this series a youth
was originally represented receiving a crown of honour in a chariot
race. Then follow successively five slabs, all bearing bas-reliefs of
chariots and charioteers. These slabs are greatly admired by artists,
and are said, at the present day, to be perhaps the finest specimens
of bas-relief extant. After the chariots with more notable people
forming the procession, the successive marbles marked 32 to 43 are
filled up with the groups of horsemen who followed the chariots. The
forms of the animals are beautifully grouped and executed; and may,
after the many centuries of time that have elapsed since they were
placed behind the Parthenon columns, be consulted by the modern artist
as the finest extant models upon which he can exercise his student's
hand. On the slabs 36, 7, how finely are the horses and riders
grouped, and how firmly and gracefully is the rude figure upon the
central horse of the second slab posed! Having sufficiently admired
these fine groups, the visitor should at once turn to the slab marked
46. Here, a young man standing near his horse is about to crown
himself; while a standing figure to the right appears to have
dismounted, and to be suffering some adjustment of dress by a servant
behind him. At the right end of this slab is a figure seen sideways,
and representing the first part of the decoration of the
WESTERN FRIEZE.
Only one of the fifteen slabs of the western frieze is the original
marble:--the rest are casts from the frieze still adorning the ruins
of the temple. The western frieze is included in the slabs marked from
47 to 61. The marble in the possession of the museum from the western
frieze is, however, one of great value. It represents two mounted
horsemen--the whole exquisitely carved. Passing forward from this, the
forty-eighth slab (48) represents a horse to which three men are
attending. Mounted horsemen also fill up the next two slabs (49, 50).
On the fifty-first a rider is represented habited in full armour, with
another rider, dismounted, who appears to be rubbing a hurt on his
left leg. The two following slabs (52,3) are horses and men;--on the
latter, a dismounted man in a flowing robe endeavouring to curb a
rearing steed. On the next slab (54) are two horsemen mounted, the one
to the right wearing a hat that has a modern appearance, and is
similar to those worn by dignitaries of the Greek church at the
present time. A fine horse and graceful horseman occur in the right
corner of the slab 55,--the action of the horse is finely sculptured.
The remaining sculptures of the western frieze represent figures of
mounted and dismounted horsemen, of which the visitor may notice the
graceful figures on slab 57 (where the horse is rubbing his leg), and
slab 60, where the figure to the right appears to be only preparing to
join the procession. Having examined these, the visitor should at once
proceed to examine the remarkable points of the
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