Ancient Greek sculptures were colourful. Why does the white marble ideal persist?
For most people today, ancient Greek sculpture brings to mind images of
pearly white human figures. Yet, ever since the first excavations of Pompeii in
the 17th century, archeologists have known that these sculptures were
painted in vivid colours. The German archeologists Vinzenz Brinkmann and Ulrike
Koch-Brinkmann have been studying the polychromatic nature of ancient Greek
sculptures for some four decades – a process that involves research through
reconstruction. In this short film from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York, Brinkmann discusses their process, and why the visual code of white
antique marble persists today.
Video by the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Directors: Sarah Cowan, Jonathan Sanden
26 July 2022
Ancient Greek sculptures were colourful. Why does the white marble ideal persist? | Aeon Videos
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