What did ancient Greek statues and temples really look like? Antique Sculptures in Color: NY Carlsberg Glyptotek Exhibition (Copenhagen) - Art History.

We are used to seeing Greek statues white, painted only in shades of marble. Greek temples appear in our imagination the same way. However, the data of modern research suggests that in fact the Greeks were not fans of monochrome either in sculpture or in architecture. They painted their statues in bright colors, drew patterns on clothes, emphasized the features of stone faces with paints. Buildings were also decorated - with multi-colored patterns, geometric and floral. These patterns can still be seen - however, only in ultraviolet light.

German archaeologist Vinzenz Brinkmann points to antique statues and fragments of architectural decorations, the light of ultraviolet lamps, and the outlines of patterns that once covered sculptures and temples, appear before the eyes of the scientist. Then Brinkmann recreates the ornaments and drawings: with his help, we can see the statues approximately as the ancient Greeks saw them.

Brinkmann cannot be sure how to arrange the colors - only the outlines of the drawings have survived, and it is difficult for a scientist to judge what kind of paint the artist used. However, the archaeologist tries to use only those dyes that could be obtained in Greece. Green is obtained from crushed malachite, blue from the mineral azurite, yellow from natural arsenic compounds, red from cinnabar, black from burnt bone and wine.

Unfortunately, those who tried to imitate antiquity in the Renaissance and later did not have the technology that would allow them to see ancient paintings. Therefore, the architecture of classicism, which considered itself the heiress of antiquity, was deprived of cheerful patterns and drawings, while maintaining a pure "antique" whiteness.

Since the Renaissance, the white surfaces of antique statues have been a standard of beauty and a source of inspiration for artists. But the archaeologists Ulrike Koch-Brinkman and Vincenz Brinkman destroyed the aesthetes' dreams.

Scholars have previously noticed that traces of painting have been preserved on some statues in the folds of the tog and robes. Vincenz and Ulrika made the bold assumption that the statues were painted. To prove this, scientists examined them using x-rays, infrared and ultraviolet radiation. The assumption was confirmed: modern technologies microparticles helped to restore even the color of paints. And they turned out to be quite cheerful.

Actually, nature should be blamed for the fact that they came to us as white: for centuries, under the influence of rain and wind, the paint was erased. The Brinkmans decided to recreate the original appearance of the statues, for which they painted several of them the way they looked originally, during Ancient Greece and Rome. The exhibition of reconstructed statues of the Brinkman spouses has been traveling to museums around the world since 2003.

Now the painted statues look clumsy and ridiculous. But in ancient times, when color was a symbol of status and wealth, they bright colors emphasized the greatness of the rulers and the country. “A lot of the time people see it as kitsch,” Vincenz says. - And this is not surprising. But the point is rather that it is unusual for our modern eye. And then, a thousand years ago, when slaves and the poor wore clothes made of unbleached linen, merchants who did not belong to the nobility had no right to wear purple and blue, no matter how rich they were. Just imagine with what reverence they looked at the statues - for example, a lion with an indigo mane from the Greek city of Loutraki.

"Alexander's sarcophagus" was found during excavations of the necropolis of the Phoenician city of Sidon. Alexander the Great is depicted on it during the battle with the Persians. The long-sleeved tunic speaks of his conquests and that he is now the ruler of the East. And the headdress made of the skin of a lion refers to Hercules and indicates the divine origin of Alexander.

In the foreground: Torso in armor (Acropolis Museum, Athens, ca. 470 BC) In the background: head of a warrior from the pediment of the temple of Athena Aphaia on Aegina, circa 480 BC. This photo, like the following ones, was taken by the author of the note in September 2014 at the exhibition “ antique sculptures in color”, held at NY Carlsberg Glyptotek (Copenhagen)

Before you a small photo report of visiting the exhibition "Transformations classical sculpture in color", held at NY Carlsberg Glyptotek (Copenhagen) from 13.09. to 07.12.2014.

New Carlsberg Glyptothek ( NY Carlsberg Glyptotek) is one of my favorites European museums and, in my opinion, the most comfortable. permanent exhibition(including a fine collection of antique sculpture) deserve separate notes, which will eventually appear in my journal.

Idols and fans. Classical Greek Apollo sculpture

It turned out that our traditional idea of ​​the sculpture and architecture of the ancient Greeks and Romans as snow-white marble strongholds is not true. It was formulated in Johann Winckelmann (Winckelmann)(1717-1768) in his fundamental work "History of the Art of Antiquity" (1764). It was he who came up with the formula: "Only White color endowed with true beauty".

Of course, this thesis caused me great surprise. It turns out that everything was multi-colored, like Easter eggs. That is the difference between Egyptian bright statues and sarcophagi, and snow-white Roman statues, as a "paintwork". That, what was considered a standard was the result of rains and time.

The website of the New Carlsberg Glyptothek contains several videos showing the mechanism for making colorful exhibits .

(!!!) I am not an art critic (I pretend to be a bibliophile :)), and I will be very glad if any of you recommend literature in Russian on this topic. In Europe, I saw about 10 books on this subject, seemingly fundamental. But in German and French - this is not trained. Thanks in advance.

Caligula

Element of the Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great (Battle with the Persians)

Artemis from Pompeii and the Tomb Stele of Aristion (master Aristocles, National Museum, Athens, circa 510 BC)

Lion of Loutrak (c. 550 BC)

Element of the Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great

Apollo

Bronze bust of an ephebe wearing a diadem

Two antefixes

"Chiotissa", one of the statues of Kore from the Acropolis of Athens

One of the statues of Kore from the Acropolis of Athens (?)

Bark of Peplophorus ("wearing peplos") (Acropolis Museum, Athens, c. 530 BC)

Since the Renaissance, the white surfaces of antique statues have been a standard of beauty and a source of inspiration for artists.

Scholars have previously noted that traces of painting have been preserved on some statues in the folds of the tog and robes. Vincenz and Ulrika made the bold assumption that the statues were painted. To prove this, scientists examined them using x-rays, infrared and ultraviolet radiation. The assumption was confirmed: modern microparticle technologies helped to restore even the color of paints. And they turned out to be quite cheerful.

Actually, nature should be blamed for the fact that they came to us as white: for centuries, under the influence of rain and wind, the paint was erased. The Brinkmans decided to recreate the original appearance of the statues, for which they painted several of them the way they looked originally, in the days of Ancient Greece and Rome. The exhibition of reconstructed statues of the Brinkman spouses has been traveling to museums around the world since 2003.

Now the painted statues look clumsy and ridiculous. But in ancient times, when the color was a symbol of status and wealth, they emphasized the greatness of the rulers and the country with their bright colors. “A lot of the time people see it as kitsch,” Vincenz says. - And this is not surprising. But the point, rather, is that it is unusual for our modern eye. And then, a thousand years ago, when slaves and the poor wore clothes from unbleached linen, merchants who did not belong to the nobility had no right to wear purple and blue, no matter how rich they were. Just imagine with what reverence they looked at the statues - for example, a lion with an indigo mane from the Greek city of Loutraki.

"Alexander's sarcophagus" was found during excavations of the necropolis of the Phoenician city of Sidon. Alexander the Great is depicted on it during the battle with the Persians. The long-sleeved tunic speaks of his conquests and that he is now the ruler of the East. And the headdress made of the skin of a lion refers to Hercules and indicates the divine origin of Alexander.