Artwork Page for The Parthenon

Details / Information for The Parthenon

The Parthenon

c. 1907–20

Frédéric Boissonnas

(Swiss, 1858–1944)
Culture
France
Medium
mammoth carbon print
Measurements
Image: 40 x 57.8 cm (15 3/4 x 22 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Michael Mattis and Judith Hochberg 2021.56
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

In the early Middle Ages, this Greek temple became a church and in the 1400s, a mosque.

Description

Originally dedicated to the ancient Greek goddess Athena, this building—which still stands today—was completed in 438 B.C. Frédéric Boissonas was a Swiss photographer who amassed enough images on several trips to Greece to publish 14 photo albums on its landscape and archeological sites. The Greek government used his images to attract tourists and raise the country’s image abroad.
A horizontally oriented carbon print in muted brown tones depicts the ruins of an ancient stone temple. Centered, eight fluted columns support a beam decorated with carved figure panels. In the foreground, broken blocks and circular column sections lie scattered across uneven ground. Through the colonnade, more structural ruins are visible against a textured, cloudy sky. To our far left, two tiny figures stand on the horizon.

The Parthenon

c. 1907–20

Frédéric Boissonnas

(Swiss, 1858–1944)
France

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