Jerome Pollitt delivered threeTownsend Lectures in the Spring of 1997 on the "Art and Ideology in Periclean Athens."
The dates, titles, and descriptions of the lectures were:
February 13, 1995 - "The design of the Athenian Acropolis"
Pollitte reviews various Athenian historical events and how they illustrate cultural and religious values of the time. He examines the Athenian Acropolis and proposes that it is not an architectural hodgepodge, but a well-planned complex of integrated elements.
February 14, 1995 - "The imagery of the Phidian Athena"
Pollitte discusses the Phidean Athena by examining the Athena Parthenos, a forty-two foot statue of Athena possessing many important sculpted features. After reviewing the work of other scholars regarding the meaning of the statue, Pollite offers his own interpretation of the significance of the statue's helmet for the Athenians.
February 16, 1995 - "The politics of Pericles and the Parthenon sculptures"
Pollitte begins by discussing the significance of the Parthenon's east pediment, including the Athenians' reputed interpretations based on the teachings of Protagonus and others. He examines several fragments and restorations to determine the validity of contrasting accounts of the pediment's significance. Pollitte then offers his own unconventional views of the Parthenon's frieze, questioning several established interpretations of its many processions.
