News & Diary - 24.11.2025
New ‘object of the week’ series: Parthenon frieze casts
These plaster casts, made in the late 19th century, are reliefs from the friezes of the Parthenon in Athens, c. 443-437 BC. The Parthenon is a temple of Athena constructed on the Acropolis in Athens between 447 and 442 BC. The frieze is thought to depict the Panathenaic procession, which was an annual religious festival in Athens during which the citizens would parade through the city and offer a new peplos (robe) to their patron goddess.
Most of the Winchester casts are from the west and north walls of the temple, and mainly show the parade of horsemen and water carriers. The frieze is remarkable for the naturalistic details of the bulging muscles and veins in the running horses, the anatomical realism in the muscles and sinews of their riders, and the flowing drapery of the clothing of humans and gods.
Winchester’s fifteen Parthenon frieze casts are thought to have been made by the firm of Domenico Brucciani (est. 1837), shortly after his death in 1880. They were made from moulds owned by the British Museum, which themselves were taken from casts made from Lord Elgin in 1802.
Although Winchester’s casts are therefore twice removed from the original marbles, they faithfully reproduce the fine detail of the ancient sculptures and even preserve some details which are no longer visible on the originals.
The casts were purchased by Winchester College in the late-19th century, as part of a visionary project to civilize the College’s spartan Victorian classrooms and corridors. A photograph from 1915 shows them on the walls of Flint Court.
After a period of time in storage, the casts were conserved and are now on display on the walls in Treasury, where pupils, staff and visitors alike can enjoy them.
