Cast of slab of riders from North frieze of Parthenon (figures 113-114, Slab XLI =Michaelis XXXVI)

From: British Museum

RA Collection: Art

The cast is of a slab from the north frieze of the Parthenon and shows riders, one of whom is a rank leader. The original slab, (41 Jenkins, 36 Michaelis), is in the British Museum. It was purchased from Lord Elgin in 1816. Another fragment of the upper left was given to the British Museum in 1919, well after this cast was made, and a head which may belong to the rank leader is in the Louvre.

The Royal Academy acquired twenty major casts of the Parthenon frieze between 1817 and 1869. The majority are of slabs of the north frieze and were displayed in the Schools until 2005 in two groups (slabs 36-39) and (slabs 40-47).