The Parthenon

Frederic Edwin Church American

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 760

Church visited Greece in 1869 and spent several weeks in Athens. There, he made numerous sketches and oil studies of the ruins of the Acropolis that later served as the basis for this painting. In reference to the Parthenon, he wrote, "Daily I study its stones and feel its inexpressible charm of beauty growing on my senses. . . . I think a great picture could be made of the ruins." The present scene, its foreground filled with fragments of capitals and columns, is suffused with a reddish glow and afternoon shadows. Church designed the painting’s impressive frame.

The Parthenon, Frederic Edwin Church (American, Hartford, Connecticut 1826–1900 New York), Oil on canvas, American

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