Painted Statues of Antiquity
Unveiling the colorful past of Greek and Roman Art
When one thinks about Ancient Greece and Rome, one of the first things to come to mind are the elegant, white marble statues standing the tests of time.
While certainly elegant, the visual of white marble is far from accurate. Much of this comes from how our present cultures view Antiquity, as well as our past archaeological methods.
Many of the white statues people have come to love were originally painted with a variety of colorful pigments.
These finds may come as a shock to many readers, but it is important in understanding the cultures and attitudes of the Greeks and Romans.
They were painted?
Yes, they were painted. As previously mentioned, this may come as a surprise to many, but research has shown that many of the statues assumed to be white are actually full of many different pigments.
This would make sense given the vast amounts of colors found in many Greek and Roman art and frescos as well as architecture.
