Temple of Victory, the Acropolis, Athens
D. Constantin
Greek
1860-69
An albumen silver print from the 1860s of the Temple of Victory on the Acropolis, made to document and convey the ruined dignity of ancient Greek architecture to viewers at home and abroad.
Four weathered Ionic columns dominate the foreground, framing a shadowed niche of toppled sculptures and a carved frieze, the fluted stone and distant, empty landscape rendered in warm sepia textures that emphasize age and silence.
The image is an example of early archaeological photography—how the new medium was used to record classical monuments, shape nineteenth‑century ideas about antiquity, and circulate national heritage to an expanding public.
Medium
Albumen silver print from a glass negative
Dimensions
10 5/8 × 14 5/8" (27.1 × 37.2 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of Lois and Bruce Zenkel
Accession
55.1982
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
