Elgin Marbles, collection of sculptures from the Athenian Acropolis in the British Museum

The Elgin Marbles are a collection of Ancient Greek sculptures from the Parthenon and other Acropolis buildings, including 75 metres of the original 160-metre frieze, 15 of 92 metopes, and 17 pedimental figures. Carved from Pentelic marble under Phidias, they show riders and horses in shallow relief and a high-relief slab of a centaur and a standing man.

The Parthenon sculptures were carved in the 5th century BC under the direction of Phidias. From 1801 to 1812, agents of Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, removed about half the surviving sculptures from the Parthenon and other Acropolis buildings. In 1816 Elgin sold them to the British government, which transferred them to the British Museum.

The carved panels show two subjects: the frieze follows a procession of riders, horses and standing figures, while the metopes depict fights between Lapiths and Centaurs, as in the slab where a standing man grips a centaur's head. The collection also includes figures from the pediments and slabs from the Erechtheion, the Propylaia and the Temple of Athena Nike.

The collection is displayed in the British Museum in London, where you can view them in a specially designed gallery. The visit allows you to observe fine details and craftsmanship up close and read explanatory panels that describe the scenes depicted and their historical origins.

Many of the sculptures display the influence of Phidias' innovative style, particularly the naturalistic rendering of drapery and musculature that would shape the foundations of Western art history. These details reveal the artistic techniques developed over two millennia ago that continue to be admired today.