Erechtheion
Medium
pen and black ink and watercolor over black chalk and touches of graphite
Dimensions
Overall: 16.2 x 16.2 cm (6 3/8 x 6 3/8 in.) support: 48.8 x 33.7 cm (19 3/16 x 13 1/4 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dr. Dieter Erich Meyer
Accession Number
1977.6.20
Art Historical Context
Nestled within the National Gallery of Art's collection, *Erechtheion* (1890) by artist Themistocles vonckenbrecher captures the grace of one of Athens' most iconic ancient temples. Perched on the Acropolis, the Erechtheion is renowned for its elegant Ionic columns and the Porch of the Caryatids—six maiden figures serving as supports. Von Eckenbrecher, a traveler and painter of Orientalist and Mediterranean landscapes, likely sketched this during his journeys through Greece in the late 19th century, a time when European artists flocked to classical sites amid a revival of interest in antiquity...