Ancient Greece in full Technicolor

Greek statues and temples in full Technicolor? It is a very shocking idea that colors are obvious, but it is much closer to the truth than one would expect initially. 

The first color reconstruction I ever saw was a corner of the Alexander Sarcophagus at the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul, and honestly, I thought it was somewhat exaggerated. The colors were simply too bright, too blunt, too plain, and did in no way match my concept of Greek perfection. It wasn’t until I unexpectedly stopped at the rarely visited Macedonian Tomb of The Judges and the Tomb of the Palmettes that I was entirely taken by the charm and exotic feeling of the bright yet delicate polychromy.

A few years ago, I saw the painstaking reconstruction work done by the team of Prof. Vinzenz Brinkman on TV and their ensuing display at the Liebieghaus in Germany. For more than 25 years, they analyzed the pigmentation of antique sculptures using digital methods whereby the originals were left untouched. New technical photographic techniques using UV light and –reflectography enabled them to disclose the painted parts of the statues. Even those areas where no pigment had survived could be revealed thanks to the chemical and mechanical transformations on the stone's surface over the centuries. They applied the matching colors on copies of existing statues based on those discoveries. It was absolutely mind-blowing and a true eye-opener.  

I lost track of these precious objects until last summer when I found the “Bunte Götter” (Gods in Colour) catalog as I visited Die Rückkehr der Göter in Cologne, Germany. It revealed that the collection of polychrome statues had grown considerably as it traveled around the world from one museum to the next, from one city to the next. Meanwhile, several of the most colorful pieces have made the headlines, and personally, I had great difficulty choosing from the superb pictures in the catalog mentioned above. I can’t wait to see them for real!

One of my favorites is the figure of an archer, identified by some as Prince Paris of Troy. It was made around 500 BC and belonged to the west pediment of the Temple of Aphaia on the island of Aegina (Greece). I can’t get enough of the vibrant colors, the patterns of his pants, the livelihood of his presence. The Persian horseman from the Acropolis in Athens shows the same patterns in the rider’s pants (today, we speak of leggings). Still, he looks less appealing because his horse is left blank since its original color cannot be defined with certitude. Another statue from that same time frame is that of Athena with striking (and at first sight, somewhat unreal) green-colored snakes at the edge of her cape. And then there is the so-called Peplos Kore (approx. 530-520 BC), whose original condition revealed traces of red, blue, yellow, and green pigments. Close scrutiny with modern technology brought this young girl to life, dressed in a ritual garment embroidered with animals, moving her to a state of godliness rather than that of an ordinary girl. This proves that the new techniques lead to new discoveries as well.  

This is an entirely new way to look at early Greek marble sculptures and ornamentation. Who would have expected such magnificent dresses, bright details, or colorful statues decorating ancient Greek temples, tombs, and perhaps even houses? I remember the circle of Kore as it stood in the old Acropolis Museum, where I marveled at the traces of color in their hair and painted earrings, wondering what they must have looked like new. Well, now I know. 

Polychrome paintings were not limited to early Greek statues alone although they may be the most rewarding examples. The technique was applied widely, covering pediments, friezes, walls and ceilings of temples and tombs, decorating theatres and other public places, terracotta statuettes like those of the well-known Tanagra type, sarcophagi, and even mummy portraits. The practice continued all the way through the classical Greek period and Hellenistic times, as is proven by the famous Alexander Sarcophagus from Sidon; and copied by the Romans as shown by the impressive head of Emperor Caligula from ancient Rome. 

I can’t wait till they tackle Alexander the Great. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see the actual color of his hair and if he really suffered from heterochromia (one blue and one brown eye, according to Peter Green)? That will be the day!

A selection of this polychromic artwork can be admired on this link: "Gods in colour".