A Masterpiece from the British Museum

The smooth shapes of the posture of the nude male figure, its flowing drapery suggest that the sculpture depicts a river god – an allegory of the Athenian river Ilissos.

The sculpture was located on the corner of the West pediment of the Parthenon. In general, a multi-figured composition depicted scenes from the contest for control of Attica held between Athena and Poseidon. Each of them performed a miracle: Poseidon struck his trident on a rock and a salty stream poured from it, Athena struck her spear on the ground and planted the first olive tree, she was awarded the victory. On the East pediment of the Parthenon was presented a scene of Athena’s birth, when she came out from the forehead of her father, Zeus, already adult, fully armed and armoured.
The Acropolis of Athens was intentionally mapped to the sacred Mount Olympus in the scenes on both pediments. In general, the Parthenon sculptures create an idea of Athens as the best city worthy of divine protection and respect on the part of the inhabitants of other regions of Greece. At that time Athens was the city with the most advanced democratic system in the vast ecumene. By the decision of the People's Assembly, the funds for the city development were annually allocated from the city treasury, and the treasury was kept in the Parthenon. Pericles stood at the head of Athens; he foresaw that the city would become a model for the entire Greek world. In the year 431, in the famous “Funeral Oration” at the funeral of the Athenian soldiers who died during the first year of the Peloponnesian War, Pericles accused Sparta of being a closed and militarized city that he contrasted to the freedom of Athens, which he called “the school of Hellas”.

To create living flesh and flowing drapery of stone means to breathe life into the cold marble. The carver who made  the figures personifying the Ilissos River evoked  in our imagination an image of movement at the same time based on a full understanding of the nature of this expressive power.

The sculptures that had adorned the Parthenon were transferred to the trustees of the British Museum by the UK government in 1816. Since then they have been freely available to many millions of visitors. For the first time ever, a part of this priceless monument is represented in a different interior and surrounded by other sculptures, so the 250-year anniversary of the Hermitage is the best reason for such an event. Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, said, “This sculpture speaks of the world of Socrates and Plato. A great work of art, it embodies the belief in the supreme value of rational debate among free citizens. There can be no better celebration of the Enlightenment ideals which the British Museum and the Hermitage have shared for 250 years”.
The Hermitage has a vast collection of classical art. However, the collection of ancient sculptures consists mainly of Roman works, including the beautiful Roman copies of Greek originals. Thus, the sculpture from the workshop of Phidias created for decoration of the Parthenon in the golden age of Athens, will allow the Hermitage guests to contemplate a cultural monument of world importance.

Mikhail B. Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum, said, “I am delighted that this important, beautiful and significant sculpture has been lent in celebration of our two museums’ shared values and will be seen alongside the permanent classical sculptures of the Hermitage.”

The British Museum

The British Museum opened to the public on 15 January 1759. It was the first state museum that laid the foundations for the European Enlightenment. It was conceived as a public encyclopaedia of scientific and art knowledge collected under one roof. The basis of its exposition was laid by a collection “of natural and man-made curiosities” that belonged to Sir Hans Sloane, the court physician of King George III.

As the collection was expanded, it became clear that the original building no longer fitted its scope. In this regard, in 1823, a building was designed in the Greek Revival style where the museum is located nowadays. Over time, the British Museum became a museum of world material and art culture presenting monuments from all corners of the Earth. The Ancient Greek architectural marbles are a recognized, especially valuable part of its collection. Among them are the sculptures exported at the beginning of the XIX century by Lord Elgin from the Acropolis in Athens. The English Parliament decided to allocate funds for their acquisition and to transfer these funds to the Board of Trustees of the Museum.

The Parthenon sculptures, considered in the XIX century as the top artistic achievement of mankind, were to become the main ornament of the ancient art collection. Paris of Napoleon announced itself as the new Rome. Upon acquisition of the Parthenon marbles just a year after the Battle of Waterloo, which occurred in 1815, London announced itself as the new Athens. This ancient city that gave the world the first example of a democratic system served as an example of the idea of a free society, and the Parthenon sculptures became a symbol of liberal values and political freedom.
Taken from the building of the temple, the sculptures of architectural finish became independent works of art. They caused such admiration that every European city, including St. Petersburg, considered it its duty to organise a demonstration of their casts. Nowadays, they go on meeting the original intent of the Enlightenment mission of the British Museum, that is, the idea of making the museum a place of concentration of all cultures, where everything is present, but nothing is preferred, where all religions are represented, but none of them is preached.

Curators of the exhibition: Anna A. Trofimova, Head of the Department of Classical Antiquities at the State Hermitage Museum, and Lesley Fitton, Head of the Department of Greece and Rome at the British Museum.