- Museum number
- 2013,5005.1.13
- Description
-
Study of a metope from the north side of the Hephaisteion showing Theseus wrestling with Kerkyon
Pen and ink, and graphite on a sheet of paper inlaid into a second sheet together with 2013,5005.1.14, 2013,5005.1.15, and 2013,5005.1.16
- Production date
- 1765-1766
- Dimensions
-
Height: 444 millimetres (of second sheet)
-
Height: 150 millimetres
-
Width: 630 millimetres (of second sheet)
-
Width: 145 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Engraved (together with 2013,5005.1.17 and 2013,5005.1.19) by J. Skelton in 'Antiquities of Athens', Vol III, 1792, chap.I, pl. XIII (Fig. 12)
This drawing was originally from an album of drawings by William Pars made during the Dilettanti Society's expedition to Greece and Asia Minor 1764-6 under the direction of Richard Chandler. The majority of them were engraved for 'Antiquities of Athens' and many others for 'Ionian Antiquities'. The album is bound in brown leather and tooled in gold on spine "Architectural Drawings & Views in Greece & Asia Minor 1764-67 / Vol. I / Presented to the British Museum by the Dilettanti Society". This volume, together with volume II (2013,5005.2), was given to the British Museum by the Society of Dilettanti in June 1800. It originally contained 84 drawings by Pars, 26 of which were removed from the album and transferred to the Department of Prints and Drawings. 17 of these were published by A. Wilton. 58 drawings remain in the Department of Greece and Rome and were removed from the album in 2013.
See:
Richard Chandler, 'Travels in Greece, or an Account of a Tour Made at the Expense of the Society Of Dillettanti', (1776),p.82
‘The sculptures still extant about his temple, though much impaired, witness the hand of a master, and furnish abundant proof that Theseus was its owner. The exploits of this hero, and of Hercules, were carved on the metopes, in sixteen compartments, in alto relieve, and the following subjects are intelligible, viz. Theseus killing the sow of Crommyon; throwing Sciron from a rock into the sea; wrestling with Cercyon; destroying the Minotaur; driving the bull of Marathon to Athens; Hercules strangling the Neméan lion; with Iolaus destroying the hydra; receiving he golden apples from a nymph, one of the Hesperides. Mr. Pars copied these with the bass relief of the pronaos and posticum, except a few stones designed by Mr. Stuart.’
See also:
'Ionian Antiquities', published by the Society of Dilettanti, Vol. 1 (1769) and Vol. II (1797)
Richard Chandler, 'Travels in Asia Minor 1764-1765', edited and abridged by Edith Clay, with an appreciation of William Pars by Andrew Wilton, (1971)
Bruce Redford, 'Dilettanti: the antic and the antique in eighteenth-century England', (2008)
Jason M. Kelly, 'The Society of Dilettanti: archaeology and identity in the British enlightenment', (2009)
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1800 (June)
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 2013,5005.1.13