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Polychromy of Roman Marble Sculpture

• 
  Column-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water), ca. 350–320 b.c.; red-figure
  Attributed to the Group of Boston 00.348
  Greek, South Italian, Apulian
  Terracotta
  

  H. 20 1/4 in. (51.51 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1950 (50.11.4)
  
  Obverse: artist painting a marble statue of Herakles
  Reverse: Athena surrounded by other deities

• 
  Fresco wall painting in a cubiculum (bedroom) from the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, ca. 40–30 b.c.; Late Republican
  Roman
  Plaster

  Rogers Fund, 1903 (03.14.13)

• 
  Portrait head of an elderly woman, Late Republican or Early Imperial, Augustan, ca. 40–20 b.c.
  Roman
  Marble, pigment

  H. 10 1/4 in. (26 cm)
  Purchase, Philodoroi Gifts, 2000 (2000.38)

• 
  Statue of a member of the imperial family shown in heroic semi-nudity, Early Imperial, Augustan or Julio-Claudian, 27 b.c.–68 a.d.
  Roman
  Marble, pigment, gilding

  H. 46 in. (116.8 cm)
  Bequest of Bill Blass, 2002 (2003.407.9)

• 
  Fragmentary head of a deity wearing a Dionysiac fillet, probably Julio-Claudian, ca. 14–68 a.d.
  Roman; copy of a Greek work of the 2nd century b.c.
  Marble, pigment, gilding

  H. 11 7/8 in. (30.3 cm)
  Purchase, Anonymous Gift, in memory of Professor Charles M. Edwards, 1992 (1992.11.66)

• 
  Torso of a centaur, Imperial, 1st century a.d.
  Roman; copy of a Greek statue of the 2nd century b.c.
  Rosso antico marble

  Rogers Fund, 1909 (09.221.6)

• 
  Disk with a herm of Dionysos in relief, Early Imperial, third quarter of 1st century a.d.
  Roman
  Marble, pigment

  H. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)
  Fletcher Fund, 1926 (26.60.27)

• 
  Ringstone with an artist painting a sculpture, Imperial, 1st–2nd century a.d.
  Roman
  Carnelian

  1/2 x 7/16 in. (1.3 x 1.14 cm)
  Gift of John Taylor Johnston, 1881 (81.6.48)

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When Roman marble sculpture was rediscovered in the Renaissance, it emerged from more than a millennium of burial essentially devoid of its ancient polychromy. The monochromatic appearance of these works gave rise to new, modern canons of sculpture characterized by an emphasis on form with little consideration of color. In antiquity, however, Greek (50.11.4) and Roman (81.6.48) sculpture was originally richly embellished with colorful painting, gilding, silvering, and inlay. Such polychromy, which was integral to the meaning and immediacy of such works, has largely been lost in burial and survives today only in fragmentary condition.

Some marble sculptures were completely painted and gilded, effectively obscuring the marble surface; others had more limited, selective polychromy used to emphasize details such as the hair, eyes, and lips and accompanying attributes.

Related

Timelines (4)

• Ancient Greece, 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
• Ancient Greece, 1–500 A.D.
• Italian Peninsula, 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
• Italian Peninsula, 1–500 A.D.

Primary Thematic Essays (4)

• Classical Antiquity in the Middle Ages
• The Rediscovery of Classical Antiquity
• Roman Painting
• Roman Portrait Sculpture: Republican through Constantinian

Other Thematic Essays (22)

• Africans in Ancient Greek Art
• Ancient Greek Dress
• Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition
• Augustan Rule (27 b.c.–14 a.d.)
• Cameo Appearances
• Eastern Religions in the Roman World
• Greek Gods and Religious Practices
• The Idea and Invention of the Villa
• Jean–Antoine Houdon (1741–1828)
• The Julio–Claudian Dynasty (27 b.c.–68 a.d.)
• List of Rulers of the Ancient Greek World
• List of Rulers of the Roman Empire
• Neoclassicism
• Painted Funerary Monuments from Hellenistic Alexandria
• Retrospective Style in Greek and Roman Sculpture
• Roman Copies of Greek Statues
• The Roman Empire (27 b.c.–393 a.d.)
• Roman Housing
• Roman Inscriptions
• Roman Portrait Sculpture: The Stylistic Cycle
• The Roman Republic
• Roman Sarcophagi

Maps (4)

• Europe, 1000 b.c.–1 a.d.
• Europe, 1–500 a.d.
• World, 1000 b.c.–1 a.d.
• World, 1–500 a.d.

Index Terms (29)

Art Movement/Style

• Group of Boston 00.348

Geography/Place

• Rome (Ancient)
• The Balkan Peninsula
• The Italian Peninsula

Material and Technique

• Ceramic from the Italian Peninsula
• Marble Sculptural Relief
• Marble Sculpture in the Round
• Painted Ceramic from Europe
• Painting in Fresco
• Plaster
• Relief Sculpture from Europe
• Sculpture in the Round from Europe
• Sculpture in the Round from the Italian Peninsula

Object

• Men's Clothing
• Secular Architecture from Europe
• Tall Vessel (Vase, Pitcher, or Bottle)
• Tall Vessel from Europe
• Vessel from the Italian Peninsula

Subject Matter/Theme

• Athena or Minerva
• Dionysus or Bacchus
• Herakles or Hercules
• Hermes or Mercury
• Interior
• Mythological Figure from Europe
• Nike or Victory
• Portrait Sculpture from Europe
• Portrait Sculpture from the Italian Peninsula
• Ruler from Europe
• Zeus or Jupiter

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Depictions of statuary in Roman wall paintings (03.14.13) provide an indication of their diverse appearances in antiquity. Some marble sculptures were completely painted and gilded, effectively obscuring the marble surface; others had more limited, selective polychromy used to emphasize details such as the hair, eyes, and lips and accompanying attributes.

Roman artists used a wide range of pigments, painting media, and surface applications to embellish their marble sculptures. Ancient authors, especially Pliny the Elder and Vitruvius, provide important information about these materials and express great admiration for the virtuoso technique of contemporary sculptors who developed a technical refinement unparalleled in classical antiquity. White marble itself was prized for its brilliant translucency, ability to take finely carved detail, and flawless uniformity. A vast array of colored marbles and other stones were also quarried from throughout the Roman world to create numerous colorful statues (09.221.6) of often dazzling appearance.

Burial, early modern restoration practices, and historic cleaning methods have all reduced the polychromy on Roman marble sculptures. Many works, however, preserve important evidence of their original polychrome decoration. Such remains are inevitably fragmentary and have altered over time, making it difficult to reconstruct their exact appearance in antiquity with certainty. Nevertheless, through a host of techniques—including microscopic examination, ultraviolet and infrared photography, and different types of material analysis—it is possible to gain valuable insight into the original appearance of these ancient works of art.

Mark B. Abbe Leon Levy Foundation Fellow, Sherman Fairchild Center for Objects Conservation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Citation Abbe, Mark B. "Polychromy of Roman Marble Sculpture". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/prms/hd_prms.htm (April 2007) Further Reading Brinkmann, Vinzenz, and Raimund Wünsche, eds. Color of the Gods: Painted Sculpture in Classical Antiquity . Munich: Stiftung Arch&uaml;ologie, 2007. Grossman, Janet Burnett. Looking at Greek and Roman Sculpture in Stone. Los Angeles: Getty Museum, 2003. Pliny the Elder, Natural History, XXXV–VI. Vitruvius, De Architectura, VII. Suggested Online Resources Roth, Kendra E. "The Visual Examination of a Roman Portrait Head." Met Objectives Bulletin 4, no. 1 (Fall 2002) Related exhibitions and online features Special Exhibitions (including upcoming, current, and past exhibitions) The New Greek and Roman Galleries Reality Check: Truth and Illusion in Contemporary Photography The Roman Mosaic from Lod, Israel Other Online Features The Visual Examination of a Roman Portrait Head (Kendra Roth)

These related Museum Bulletin or Journal articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship. Richter, Gisela Marie Augusta. "Polychromy in Greek Sculpture." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 2, no. 8 (April, 1944) JSTOR | PDF