The Propylaeum from the East
Medium
pen and black ink and watercolor over black chalk and touches of graphite
Dimensions
Overall: 11.9 x 16.2 cm (4 11/16 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
1977.6.14
Art Historical Context
Step into the ancient grandeur of Athens with *The Propylaeum from the East*, a delicate 1890 drawing by German artist Themistocles von Eckenbrecher (1853–1938). Capturing the iconic gateway to the Acropolis—built in 437 BCE by architect Mnesicles as part of Pericles' monumental rebuilding—this intimate sketch (11.9 x 16.2 cm) offers a Romantic view from the east, evoking the timeless allure of classical ruins amid late 19th-century European fascination with Greece. Von Eckenbrecher, known for his luminous landscapes and Orientalist travels, employed a masterful mixed-media technique: black c...