Three figures from the Parthenon.

Graphite on 300gsm. paper. 100 x 70 cm.

I have been drawn to these Hellenic figures for some time now and it has only recently occurred to me why. As I explore these fragments from the very distant past they seem to speak of a sophisticated culture now long gone that has much to tell us in our present day. Surely these were a people that had similar hopes and aspirations to us in the present day. My method of showing these objects is to avoid drawing in the fractures in the sculptures but to simply discontinue the line where the break(s) occur. Sometimes a little colour is added but only partially. The entire form is not coloured. I also tend to have the figures emerging either from the shadows or from intense light that bleaches out some of the image. This one is an example of this. The background is darker to the left of the picture and is fused out to the right. These figures are headless and the arms are incomplete so here the line simply ceases.

The extensive damage was done when the Venetians laid siege to Athens around 1684 when it was occupied by the Turks. Apparently the Parthenon was being used as an ammunition store and suffered a direct hit from the Venetians. Ironic really when the Parthenon was built as a temple to Pallas Athene and Aphrodite before the onset of the Persian wars in 500BCE and was used as such until converted to a Christian church under Constantine. None of the sculpture suffered any major damage throughout all this until the 17# century.

Anyway, back to the art.

I wrote a few quick notes in my sketchbook. They look a bit like a haiku but there the similarity ends.

Ghosts from a distant past

Civilisations long gone

Speak to us today.

Ancient forms

Emerging from darkness

Emerging from light;

Forms and colours

Distorted by time.