Alma-Tadema first saw the Elgin marbles from the Parthenon at the British Museum in 1862. The picture depicts an imaginary scene in which the sculptor Pheidias (fl. c.490-430 BC) shows his work to important Athenians, including the Athenian leader Pericles (d.429 BC). Alma-Tadema depicts the frieze in colour. At the time academics were debating whether the sculptures would have painted or not, for some it was unthinkable that Classical sculpture would be painted in bright 'fairground' colours. In 1877 when the picture was displayed in public for the first time it re-ignited the debate. We now know that the frieze and other Classical sculptures were painted.