ART 265Parallels can be made with the sculptures of the Parthenon but there are also
major differences. The Elgin marbles have inspired much talk of the serenity of
Classical art; there is serenity in some of the faces of the Olympians on the Pergamum
frieze but the overall and overwhelming impression is one of agonized tension and
strain. Throughout, there is great variety in the individual set pieces; there is also a
predominant style informing them all that is different from (and not necessarily
inferior to) the style associated with Pheidias expressed in the sculptures of the
Parthenon. The detail from the frieze here (fig. 69) is said to show the goddess Athena
subduing the giant Alcyoneus. The winged figure on the right is identified as Nike,
Victory, and the female figure below is Gaia, the mother of the giant. The two sets of
figures interlock by means of outstretched limbs, ensuring visual continuity. The four
figures are on slightly different levels, giving the impression of dislocation. The bodies
of the giant and the goddess pull away from each other, as the goddess grasps the
giant’s hair and pulls; this is a real fight with no holds barred and it is represented at
the moment of imminent climax as the giant is caught between the goddess and the
snake. The faces of the giant and his mother look up in matching anguish. Had the
FIGURE 69 Detail from the Pergamum frieze
Source:Photo Johannes Laurentius © 2005. Photo Scala, Grenze/BPK, Bildasentus fur Kunst, kultur
und Geschichte, Berlin