February 3, 2007
Artistic impressions of the ancient Acropolis
The Acropolis & Parthenon looked very different originally when they were painted in bright colours. A new exhibition helps to highlight this aspect neglected in the past by artists.
From:
From:
India eNews
Greek ancient monuments receive splash of colour
Friday, February 02, 2007If ancient Greeks could take a walk along the many tourist stalls beneath the ancient Acropolis, they would be amazed to behold the countless marble miniatures of the popular site, all depicted in white.
Archaeologists said many of the ancient ruins looked completely different approximately 2,500 years ago, when the Parthenon was actually covered in brilliant shades of red, blue and green.
Now, a group of artists have taken the liberty to revive history with an exhibition of 21 coloured replicas of the ancient sculptures called Munich’s Gods in Colour at the National Archaeological Museum.The exhibition, which runs until March 24, was presented for the first time at the Munich Glyptothek in 2004 before travelling to a number of countries for the past two years.
Archaeologists first discovered traces of colour on various sculptures during laser cleaning as part of ongoing restorations to the temple, built in 432 BC.
Weathering through the bleaching of the sun, blowing of sand and more modern pollution caused the colours to fade over time.
‘New research methods were developed in order to trace colour remnants on ancient sculptures. This was followed by careful analysis in order to reproduce the initial colours with as much accuracy as possible. When all this was achieved, colour was added to replicas of well-known Greek and Roman sculptures,’ said Museum Director Nikos Kaltsas.
‘It is a well known fact that both ancient Greek sculptures and temples featured colour, yet colour remnants on some works today cannot do justice to their original appearance,’ he added.
A portion of the Parthenon’s most intricate carvings are now housed in the British Museum in London, and Greece has repeatedly demanded that they be returned to the place of their birth.
Experts believe the Elgin Marbles may have been stripped of some of their remaining colour when they first arrived in London in the early 19th century, due to months of scraping with abrasive tools by museum officials convinced that the marbles had originally been pure white.
‘This exhibition confirms, once more, that what we know of the past is never really a given. Archaeological research is constantly developing through the adoption of new methods, whose aim is to get closer, if not reach, the truth,’ Kaltsas added.
– By Christine Pirovolakis
- Traces of colour on the Parthenon’s pediments : January 31, 2012
- The original colour of the Parthenon Sculptures : February 25, 2006
- Some Greek art will return for the Olympics : February 14, 2004
- Traces of paint discovered on Parthenon Sculptures : June 16, 2009
- The colourful Parthenon sculptures : June 17, 2009
- The colour of the Elgin Marbles : September 12, 2007
- Lasers used to clean the sculptures from the Acropolis : August 18, 2010
- The colour of the Parthenon : March 23, 2006
shirley morris said,
06.22.09 at 10:19 am
i first saw the Elgin Marbles in 1969 when i worked as a young nurse in London. Not having much cash i spent my days off in the British Museum.
İ shall never forget my first look at the Marbles. they overwhelmed me and although at that time i was naive and didnt think about the fact that they had been plundered , still i had a feeling of sadness that they were out of place in the sterility of the museum.
İ strongly believe that the Marbles should be displayed where they belong in the place that both created and was created for them.
İ love Greek history and the mythology that is an integral part of the culture that civilised the world.
this is a lovely web site thank you
shirley morris alanya turkey