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The Acropolis of Athens in the 1870s: the Evidence of the Alma-Tadema Photographs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2013

Abstract

The photographs of Athens in the collection of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, now in the Library of the University of Birmingham, are catalogued. They are shown to comprise, in the main, two series, one purchased, of which the majority are original prints of William Stillman's photographs of 1869, the second consisting of photographs apparently taken for Sir Lawrence when he visited Athens in the later 1870s. Since the later series often deliberately duplicated views in the earlier series, comparisons can be made. These demonstrate that part of the façade to the west wing of the Propylaia was preserved intact from Antiquity inside the Frankish tower.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 1987

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References

1 A modern account of him is given by Vern Swanson, G., Alma-Tadema. The Painter of the Victorian Vision of the Ancient World. London, 1977.Google Scholar

2 Swanson, pl. 3 (in colour).

3 Shown by Swanson on p. 14. The Stabian Baths were utilized in the setting for one of his latest paintings, A favourite Custom, of 1909 (Swanson, pl. 31).

4 I am deeply indebted to Benedikt Benedikz, Special Collections Librarian, University of Birmingham, for help and encouragement; and to Graham Norrie, Photographer in the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, who made the excellent copies from the originals used for the plates in this article and the enlargements of parts of 9783, and 9881.

5 The architecture of the Athenian Propylaia, very freely adapted, seems to be the setting for Alma-Tadema's painting The women of Amphissa of 1887 (Swanson, pl. 13).

6 These marble chairs reappear in Alma-Tadema's Sappho of 1881, illustrated by Swanson on p. 49, which gives a terminus ante quem for the visit to Athens and the photographs. Swanson calls this ‘one of the few paintings in which Alma-Tadema is guilty of serious anachronism (in the furniture) and inaccuracy (in the Greek lettering)’. The Hellenistic chairs are, of course, far too late for Sappho's time (though they are of a type which certainly existed in the sixth century) but the lettering is a conscientious attempt at correctness: the Hellenistic letter forms on the actual chairs are replaced by sixth-century forms though these are of mixed origin.

7 American consul in Crete from 1865 until he retired following the death of his wife who committed suicide in April 1868, worn out by the strain of feeding the hungry and caring for the sick when the Consulate in Herakleion served as a place of refuge during the Cretan uprising of 1866. Stillman published his autobiography (Autobiography of a Journalist) in 1901. I am grateful to Professor Peter Warren for information about Stillman (who, of course, continued his interest in Crete and Cretan archaeology: see Sinclair Hood's article, above p. 86) and for obtaining for me a copy of G. Arnakis, C.'s paper, ‘Consul Stillman and the Cretan Revolution of 1866’, Β Αιέθνες Κρητολογικόν Συνέδριον, 1969, Λ 99106.Google Scholar Arnakis concludes his article with the words: ‘At the close of 1865 … Stillman was once again free … to pursue his manifold cultural interests—painting, photography. …’

8 Two copies of this book are in the Gennadeion Library.

9 I am most grateful to Professor John Boardman for telling me about the Oxford Stillmans, and letting me have xerox copies of them.

10 Swanson, p. 18.

11 N. Balanos, 1834–1930. A. K. Orlandos, 430. The Acropolis at Athens Conservation Restoration and Research 1975–53; Committee for the preservation of the Acropolis Monuments, 15.

12 Also Pittakis's work, ibid.

13 Ibid. fig. ix, 16a p. 106.

14 Robert Sayer's Ruins of Athens, 1759, reprinted by Gregg International in 1969, pl. 1.

15 430.

17 Balanos, op. cit.; Orlandos, loc. cit. 16.

18 BCH 80 (1956) 610 f. A baulk of timber, apparently propping up part of the East pediment of the Parthenon, which is visible in Normand's photograph (Daux, pl. xx) was still there in Stillman's time, 9876 (PLATE 46) and 9877. The precarious state of the wall over the west door, and the horizontal timber, are visible already in Normand's photos, Daux, pls. xi and xviii.

19 This appears in the plan of the Propylaia, Penrose's Principles of Athenian Architecture 2 pl. 27: but unfortunately he did not give a plan of the tower.

20 Travlos, EIK 109.