Plaster cast of the Parthenon South Metope III

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The Walker Art Gallery boasts a collection of plaster cast copies of the Elgin Marbles, gifted to the Liverpool Royal Institution by King George IV in 1821. These casts were later transferred to the Walker in 1839. The original marble sculptures, dating back to the 5th century BC, were removed from the Parthenon's frieze in Athens between 1801 and 1803 by the 7th Earl of Elgin. They were subsequently purchased by the British government in 1816 and are now housed at the British Museum in London. The Walker Art Gallery also features a group of casts from the Bassae Frieze relief sculptures, displayed prominently on its walls. These casts were presented to the Royal Institution in the early 1820s by architect John Foster and transferred to the Walker in 1893. The marble originals, which date back to around 400 BC and are also housed at the British Museum, originated from the Temple of Apollo at Bassae in southern Greece. They depict intense battles between the peaceful Lapiths and their brutal opponents - the drunken centaurs, Greeks, and Amazons.