A Caryatid seen from behind on the Acropolis,
The Caryatids of the Erechtheion were carved in the late 5th century BC at the height of Athens’ Golden Age. Far from the pale stone we see today, they were once painted in vivid colour, with bronze details woven into their hair and robes.
Today, five of the originals are housed safely in the Acropolis Museum in Athens. Their missing sister was taken by Lord Elgin in 1816 and remains in the British Museum.
The Caryatids were originally built to stand on the south porch of the Erechtheion temple on the Acropolis of Athens. That’s where they supported the roof for over 2,400 years.
This photograph captures one Caryatid gazing over Athens - strong, graceful, and still marked by absence.
A reminder that the debate over the Parthenon Marbles is not only about art, but about identity and return.
Photographed by Walter Hege in 1928.