Ancient sculptures were full of colour..

[evon]

http://sciencenordic.com/ancient-sculptures-were-full-colour



The ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were not just white. They were filled with colour, and a new research project aims to restore these lost colours.


This is also true for buildings and such, the ancients had great love for strong colours, that most people today would find "tacky" and bad taste....

A good example is the Greek Parthenon from Athens, which would have looked more like this then white washed as it does today:

http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060321/060321_parthenon_colors_hlg_4p.grid-6x2.jpg

This is also part of the same issue as why churches/temples used Gold, which for many today seem like out of greed, while in reality it was to use the visual properties of gold inside these holy places that was the true intent behind the usage of such materials....

[Jackson]

Very interesting! But not surprising. I wouldn't have the thought the people of the classical world were unimaginative enough not to decorate.

[evon]

Very interesting! But not surprising. I wouldn't have the thought the people of the classical world were unimaginative enough not to decorate.

My guess is they adopted the colour schemes from Near Eastern arts, as they did with most cultural things, especially Egyptian, whom we know used allot of strong colours...

[Jackson]

My guess is they adopted the colour schemes from Near Eastern arts, as they did with most cultural things, especially Egyptian, whom we know used allot of strong colours...

Apparently the Egyptians were a great source of inspiration for classical Greece, I see what you mean. I suppose they looked to the Egyptians and their long history in a way that we look to Rome or Greece, or at least how people did in the renaissance.

I'm listening to an 18 hour series of lectures on Rome and the Barbarians at the moment, and they include a fair bit about the Greeks as well - interesting stuff.

[evon]

Apparently the Egyptians were a great source of inspiration for classical Greece, I see what you mean. I suppose they looked to the Egyptians and their long history in a way that we look to Rome or Greece, or at least how people did in the renaissance.

I'm listening to an 18 hour series of lectures on Rome and the Barbarians at the moment, and they include a fair bit about the Greeks as well - interesting stuff.

Yes, for the ancient Greeks (prior to the classical period) Egypt and the Phoneticians was very influential on Greece and Italy (Etruscans especially)...I can quote a passage from a book on Ancient art:


The style of the animals here, like the techniques displayed in much gold jewellery, seems to owe much to the work of craftsmen from the Near east, and there is some evidence for such men taking up residence both at Athens and Knossos in Crete

Archaic and Classical Greek Art. R .Osbourne. 1998.

[Onur]

This is no surprising. The ancient Egyptian giant sphinxes was colored too. They wasn't like today`s dirty yellowish color. These statues has been neglected and damaged during Roman empire and especially after christianity prevailed. Thats when they got damaged and lost their colored paintings.

Especially after christianity, the newborn christians of Rome started some kind of destruction spree for both Egyptian and ancient Greek statues. It`s also quite possible that Alexander the Great`s tomb destroyed during that destruction frenzy.

[evon]

This is no surprising. The ancient Egyptian giant sphinxes was colored too. They wasn't like today`s dirty yellowish color. These statues has been neglected and damaged during Roman empire and especially after christianity prevailed. Thats when they got damaged and lost their colored paintings.

Especially after christianity, the newborn christians of Rome started some kind of destruction spree for both Egyptian and ancient Greek statues. It`s also quite possible that Alexander the Great`s tomb destroyed during that destruction frenzy.

Actually it was not just Christians, In the east Muslims did the same (common one was to whitewash the symbols in churches and temples and use them as Mosques), Christians usually converted the statues into Christian service (with the exception of the Iconoclasts), and in many instances it was down to neglect rather then wanting to destroy them, that lead to the statues loosing colour ect..

[AlbionMyway]

Medieval gothic buildings were also originally brightly painted. Some still have traces of their original colour schemes, such as this Santa Maria la Mayor, Toro...

29945

[evon]

Medieval gothic buildings were also originally brightly painted. Some still have traces of their original colour schemes, such as this Santa Maria la Mayor, Toro...

29945

Its a shame this has not prevailed as a modern tradition, we need more colour in our daily life, especially during winter..