What I can see

The Academy of Athens features the most important architectural samples of modern Greek sculpture. The central pediment depicts the birth of Athena. The rest of the pediments present Athena as patron of agriculture, craft, shipbuilding and the sciences. The central pediment (based on the work of Austrian painter Karl Rahl), the statues, the Ionic columns on which Athena and Apollo were erected, are made of marble. The remaining eight pediments of the building’s wings are made of terracotta. Another strong point is the symbolism behind the positioning of the sculpture’s figures. Socrates is lost in though and his student Plato is writing, under the gods of wisdom and art. The two philosophers are depicted under the gaze and supervision of the gods.

What I can't see

Simon Sinas, the financier and head of construction at the Academy building, entrusted the sculptural decoration to Leonidas Drosis (1843-1884). The central pediment, Athena and Apollo are his own works, while the statue of Sinas was made in collaboration with Attilio Picarelli (1866-1945). The models of Socrates and Plato were also Drosis’ work but the depiction in marble was probably made by one or some of his students, though their names are unknown. The rest of the pediments have been made by Polish sculptor Franz Melnitzky (1875), based on Hansen’s plans. The recent maintenance of sculptures was performed by the sculptor Praxitelis Tzanoulinos. These sculptures, like the rest of the Athenian Trilogy, have been declared monuments in situ.

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Bibliography