Six Plaster Friezes

Henning Snr, John 1771 - 1851

Summary

Six plaster friezes 1981.8 a-f in original wooden trays. a. Parthenon, North frieze, slabs XLI, XLII b. Parthenon, North frieze, imaginary additions by John Henning c. Parthenon, South frieze, slab XXV, with section of South frieze, slab IV and part of V. e. Bassae, Battle of Amazons and Centaurs against the Lapiths f. Bassae, Battle of Amazons and Centaurs against the Lapiths

Display Label

The Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs and The Battle of the Greeks and Amazons possibly 1818 - 19 John Henning Snr 1771 - 1855 Moulded plaster These plaster casts show two mythical Greek victories: one over the centaurs, who were part-man, part-horse, the other over the Amazons, the fierce female warriors. Together they represent the triumph of Greek civilisation over barbarous and uncultured societies. The scenes were based on some of the sculptures from the temple of Apollo at Bassae in the Peloponnese. After the site was excavated in 1811-12, the British Government acquired part of the frieze and then transferred it to the British Museum in 1816 where the Scottish sculptor, John Henning, copied it. The plaster casts proved to be so popular that pirate versions were produced in France and Italy. Purchased 1981.8e and 1981.8f