Broken Column, Parthenon
Classification
landscapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase from General Acquisitions Endowment Fund
Accession Number
2018-36-1
About this artwork
Broken column sections scattered on grass in foreground with hills in the distance.
Art Historical Context
Lockwood de Forest’s “Broken Column, Parthenon,” painted in 1869 when the artist was just nineteen, captures the quiet majesty of ancient Greek ruins. Scattered column drums rest on grassy ground in the foreground, while distant hills evoke the Athenian landscape. Created shortly after the American Civil War, the work reflects the era’s fascination with classical antiquity as a source of cultural renewal and democratic ideals. De Forest, later celebrated for his luminous landscapes and decorative designs, here presents a contemplative study of time’s passage. The fallen architecture stands as...