Ancient polychromy? “The pristine whiteness of marble statues is the expectation and thus the classi

For several hundred years the extensive ruins of the Greek and Roman civilizations have awed and inspired tourists, writers, and artists. The beautifully carved statues and remains of intricately constructed columned building of white marble even became the model for the government buildings in the United States to reflect American’s perception as the inheritors of the classical ideals of democracy. But in recent years, researchers have begun promoting what many people today might consider to be heresy. Armed with new technologies, conservationists have been able to determine that many of the classical statues and ruins known to the public were actually painted in vivid colors. And this writers discusses how this initial view of classical heritage creates a “false idea of homogeneity.”

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Why We Need to Start Seeing the Classical World in Color

By Sarah E. Bond

Hyperallergic

June 7, 2017