Palmyran Beauty in full color

It has taken time to get used to, but by now, the world has generally accepted the bright colors of ancient statues and monuments. The subject was first developed in my post, Ancient Greece in full Technicolor in 2013.

The wide range of colors is something difficult to imagine, and I love it when an occasional artifact is copied in its original colors or digitally reconstructed to help to rebuild our mental images. One such example that stands out is the Lion Horoscope at Nemrud Dag (see: Full color on the lion horoscope of Nemrud Dag).

These days, my attention goes to The Beauty of Palmyra that shines at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen, a museum that holds the largest collection of Palmyrene tomb sculptures outside Syria.

From left, The Beauty of Palmyra today, with reconstituted elements, and in the final stage of digital reconstruction. Tahnee L. Cracchio/Ben Goddard/Cecilie Brøns/Lars Hummelshøj

[Picture from The Art Newspaper]

This unknown woman created between 190 and 210 AD was discovered in a tomb at Qasr Abjad in Syria in 1928. Over the past months, archaeologist Cecilie Brøns has painstakingly researched the original colors of this statue using the latest techniques in order to present it in its full glory to the general public.

Before tackling the pigments, the statue was digitally reconstructed, adding the missing fragments like the nose, lips, and her left hand. Only then was the Beauty of Palmyra enhanced with the colors to bring her back to life. Additionally, her jewels were revived digitally also inspired by the precious stones found during excavations at Palmyra.

For the true aficionados, it is interesting to know that a special exhibition The Road to Palmyra runs at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek till 1 March 2020.