Cast of slab of riders from North frieze of Parthenon (figures 103-105, Slab XXXVIII =Michaelis XXXIII)

From: British Museum

RA Collection: Art

The cast is of a slab of the north frieze of the Parthenon and shows portions of five riders, one of whom is distinguished by nudity and gesture as a rank leader. The original slab, (38 Jenkins, 33 Michaelis), is in the British Museum. It was acquired from Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin in 1816.

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), which were framed by casts of the west and east frieze.