Parthenon's Masterpieces

2 Pages 380 Words

Greek art held many terrific pieces of art found in many structures with many different styles, but some of the greatest art could be found in the Parthenon. The Parthenon withheld many great metopes, friezes, and pediments that were all magnificent art with intriguing stories. The metope of the Lapith verses the centaur, the frieze showing the Panathenaic Festival, and the pediment that presents the three goddesses; narrate their individual stories in many ways.
The metope on the south side of the Parthenon depicts a battle between a Lapith and a centaur. It shows a Lapith rising up on its back legs after striking a centaur to the ground. This tells us the story of how the Lapiths and the centaurs had contentions in which the Lapiths probably triumphed on more occasions. The sculptor knew how to distinguish the vibrant, powerful form of the living beast from the lifeless corpse on the ground. He illustrates how the Lapith screams victory by rising on its hind legs and stands directly over the centaur as if it had just risen from striking him down. This decoration in the Parthenon would show how the Greeks could have experienced losses as well as victorious from heated battle. The metope would create a fierce example of war and competition within the Parthenon.
Another significant work inside of the Parthenon was the frieze detailing the Panathenaic Festival. This Ionic inner frieze has many parts to it but on the east it illustrates a group of gods and goddesses who are spectators of the festival. This part of the frieze is significant by showing that the gods were invited to the festival and their importance might be shown by the way that they are seated while the other spectators are standing. The gods seem to be extremely casual, discussing the events to each other and pointing as they observe. The artist must have shown these gods in an enjoyable, relaxed setting to show their importance. It is similar to a king a...