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Polychromy of Roman Marble Sculpture

• 
  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 (03.14.13a–g)
  
• 
  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)
  
• 

  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

• 
  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)
  
• 
  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)
  
• 
  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)
  
• 
  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, 1–500 a.d.
• Ancient Greece, 1000 b.c.–1 a.d.
• Italian Peninsula, 1–500 a.d.
• Italian Peninsula, 1000 b.c.–1 a.d.

Primary Thematic Essays (4)

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

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
• Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741–1828)
• 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
• Roman Housing
• Roman Inscriptions
• Roman Portrait Sculpture: The Stylistic Cycle
• Roman Sarcophagi
• The Idea and Invention of the Villa
• The Julio-Claudian Dynasty (27 B.C.–68 A.D.)
• The Roman Empire (27 B.C.–393 A.D.)
• The Roman Republic

Maps (4)

• Europe, 1-500 A.D.
• Europe, 1000 B.C.-1 A.D.
• World, 1-500 A.D.
• World, 1000 B.C.-1 A.D.

Index Terms (33)

Artist

• Group of Boston 00.348

Geography/Place

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

Material and Technique

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

Object

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

Subject Matter/Theme

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

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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 Pliny the Elder, Natural History, XXXV–VI.. n/a: n/a, n/a. Vitruvius, De Architectura, VII.. n/a: n/a, n/a. 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. 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)

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