View of Athens from the Ilissus, circa 1830

This particular view of Athens was a favourite among 19th Century artists for it allowed them to represent the city with most of its famous monuments, such as the Acropolis, the Temple of the Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Arch. The view is taken from the Ilissus, formerly the principal river of Athens, which was almost completely dried up by the end of the 19th Century. Although its verdant banks were no longer in sight, the location was very appealing to the educated visitor, because it had inspired Plato's famous Dialogue Phaedrus.