#polychromy
LightNews LightNews
havetoga.bsky.social
We're piggybacking on @partialhistorians.bsky.social 's recent post about polychromy in Greek art with an image of one of our favorite pieces from the "Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color" exhibit!

#AncientGreece #Polychromy
Full-color reconstruction (by Vinzenz Brinkmann and Ulrike Koch-Brinkmann) of the sculpted archer from the west pediment of the Temple of Aphaia on Aegina, ca. 500 BCE.
November 2, 2026 at 5:33 PM
partialhistorians.bsky.social
The ancient world was a colourful place and some of the reconstructions suggest at just how vivid it might have been. We’re lucky to have artefacts with traces of painting remaining to allow us to catch a glimpse at how colour was used in the ancient world!

#AncientRome #AncientGreece #Polychromy
November 2, 2026 at 10:41 AM
richard.wickedproblems.earth
Also Jesus: "WHY SO SERIOUS?"
_medievalart 3 w Mary: “Smile!” Jesus: 😐 Mary: “...a little more.” Jesus: 😑 Mary: “You’re making the weird face again.” Jesus: “I am literally God.” Virgin and Child, early 14th century Region: French (Norman) Style: Late Gothic Material: Limestone with traces of polychromy
October 30, 2026 at 12:43 PM
alaintruong.bsky.social
Baroque memento mori skull, Southern German, 17th century. Wood with polychromy. Height 10.5 cm, width 9.5 cm, depth 13 cm © Kuntskammer Georg Laue
October 26, 2026 at 6:37 PM
limefinishes.bsky.social
Obviously now out of focus but it is these tiny traces that started the ball rolling. Now it is common to find the primer applied onto the stone and polychromy on this.
October 24, 2026 at 8:36 AM
chapps.bsky.social
Although funerary in purpose, her ivy leaf diadem and acanthus headdress vibrates with life, a promise of a lush afterlife. If you look closely, you can see tiny Erotes decorating her blue tunic. 🏺 #polychromy #ancientbluesky 2/

3rd c. BCE. #MuseoArqueológicoNacional

flic.kr/p/2sFd62w
Polychrome Canosan bust of an aristocratic woman
The figure wears a low-necked blue tunic decorated with small, stylized figures of pink Erotes. Over the tunic, she wears a white mantle, itself edged in pink. Her face, with its solemn features, pres...
flic.kr
October 22, 2026 at 5:01 PM
florianlouis.bsky.social
Stubbe Østergaard - The Necessity of Colour in Greek Sculpture

New Perspectives on Polychromy Research

À paraître en mai aux Aarhus University Press
October 22, 2026 at 10:12 AM
jessemlocker.bsky.social
Chicart Bailly, pendant to a rosary or chaplet (two sides), Paris(?), 1500–30, elephant ivory with traces of polychromy, 2 3/4 × 1 1/4 × 1 1/2 inches (7 × 3.2 × 3.8 cm) (Detroit Institute of Arts) 🎃💀
Two sides of an ivory carving, one with a face, the other with a skull, inscription, along both sides, reads O MORS QUAM AMARA EST MEMORIA TUA (O death, how bitter it is to be reminded of you)
October 16, 2026 at 2:20 PM
patrickkapty.bsky.social
Celtic Three-Headed Deity
carved limestone, traces of polychromy
c. 200 CE
Gallo-Roman culture
France

#handmade #carved #limestone #relief #pigments #polychromy #GalloRoman #culture #Celtic #threeheaded #deity #trifrons #Lugus #god #allseeing #trinity #ancientart #art #France #Reims #cityofkings
Rare limestone bust depicting a Celtic three-headed (trifrons) deity. The bearded face with narrow, straight mouths, long nose and four bulging, almond-shaped eyes. The central face shares each eye with the neighbouring faces. The beard is drilled to depict curls. The back is rough which suggests that the bust was part of a very sculptural relief. Three-headed deities as the present one were found especially in Gaul. See for reference the column and the trifrons Faubourg de Laon in the museum of Reims. The busts most probably represents the Celtic god Lugus. The Celts’ tendency to imagine gods in triads could explain the trifrons. It also stands for the Celts as a symbolic expression of an all-overlooking deity. In any case busts like this are the predecessor of the Christian Holy Trinity. With some color remains. Possibly from the region of Reims.
October 12, 2026 at 3:23 PM
fade.bsky.social
Pretty much the only time in my life that I got harassed by randos on Twitter was when I mentioned briefly, in passing, the polychromy of ancient Roman statuary, as an aside during a multi-dozen tweet thread on a lecture about a different topic.

The lecturer got responses like you have.
October 12, 2026 at 2:41 PM
Love the polychromy!
October 10, 2026 at 9:00 PM
historybriefly.bsky.social
The Parthenon’s scale, harmony, and beauty can deeply move people, including conservation experts, and its original encaustic polychromy on marble was exquisite.
Save What Matters
Curate Feeds | Make Collections | Customize Email Briefs
briefly.co
October 10, 2026 at 5:25 AM
sarahebond.bsky.social
The latest Pasts Imperfect is out! 🏛 Kimberly Cassibry & Elizabeth Macaulay discuss ethos & triumphal arches. Then, @mhanses.bsky.social's book on W.E.B. Du Bois & antiquity; anesthesia in Ming China; an open access book on polychromy; new ancient world journals @yaleclassicslib.bsky.social & more.
Pasts Imperfect (10.8.26).
This week, Kimberly Cassibry and Elizabeth Macaulay discuss the architectural history and political messaging of triumphal arches. Then, a new book looks at W.E.B. Du Bois and Ancient Rome; researcher...
pasts-imperfect.ghost.io
October 8, 2026 at 11:08 AM
arbiteriapetus.bsky.social
“The polychromy of ancient Greek sculptures has been the subject of studies for over a century, as remains of painted decorations were already documented during the archaeological excavation of the Athenian Acropolis at the end of 19th century.”

www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13...
www.mdpi.com
October 4, 2026 at 3:43 PM
tenuretracker.bsky.social
Extract: The position involves research on the polychromy of Hellenistic jewelry, focusing on technical practices and trade networks. The candidate will analyze materials and texts to understand cultural implications.
October 3, 2026 at 8:59 AM
ianthis.bsky.social
watched jason and the argonauts for the first time and this I will say: realistic polychromy!
October 2, 2026 at 2:15 PM
sarahebond.bsky.social
New, Open Access book on late antique & medieval Polychromy: "This volume examines the role of colour in Late Antiquity & the early Middle Ages, exploring its use in art and architecture through archaeological, art historica l& scientific research." www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress...
Figure 6. Detail of the captives’ trousers in daylight (a) and under IR light with Egyptian blue glowing white(b), Nicomedia frieze © Nicomedia-Çukurbağ Archaeology Project Figure 6. Detail of the captives’ trousers in daylight (a) and under IR light with Egyptian blue glowing white(b), Nicomedia frieze © Nicomedia-Çukurbağ Archaeology Project Figure 6. Detail of the captives’ trousers in daylight (a) and under IR light with Egyptian blue glowing white(b), Nicomedia frieze © Nicomedia-Çukurbağ Archaeology Project
September 29, 2026 at 11:31 AM
imagineterrain.bsky.social
My coop chose new colors for our shared spaces, and the debate was between people seeking gray (younger, with an eye toward resale value) and those who wanted more vibrant choices (older and intending to stay). I'd observe, too, that there's been a collapse in pattern and polychromy.
langealexandra.bsky.social Alexandra Lange @langealexandra.bsky.social · Sep 21
I recently told 15yo I grew up with an avocado refrigerator and he couldn’t even process that idea! www.npr.org/2026/09/21/n...
Are we in a 'color recession'? : It's Been a Minute
Are neutrals dominating your color palette?Our world is looking kind of gray. Not the trees, the grass or the sky – but the cars, the buildings, the houses, and the decor and appliances in them. Neutrals dominate – like the famous “Millennial gray.” There are a lot of reasons, both structural and cultural, why color is leaching out of some of our most important and most expensive possessions – but what do we think our colors say about us? And what role does color play in our lives today?To get into it, Brittany is joined by Amogh Dimri, assistant editor at The Atlantic and the writer of a piece about “the color recession,” and Katy Kelleher, a writer, editor, and author of the book The Ugly History of Beautiful Things.(00:00) What does the color recession look like?(02:26) How American cities lost their color(06:26) Who's really picking 'Millennial gray'?(08:28) What color choices say about class(13:15) Why color might be scary(20:33) Finding the freedom to be colorfulFor more episodes on tastes, design and material culture, check out:Fashion isn't art. It's something more.The ugly truth of America's expensive homesThe hard work of having "good taste"Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
www.npr.org
September 21, 2026 at 10:13 PM
wycha.bsky.social
duckduckgo image search is something as ive got saint seiya figurines while i was looking for medieval polychromy sculptures
September 17, 2026 at 6:52 PM
anthonymajanlahti.bsky.social
Returning to the upper register, we find this fictive statue of a mythical #hero carrying a chlamys. Its fantastic #polychromy vividly reminds us that ancient sculpture was richly painted. The shading of the musculature using deeply coloured tesserae is brilliant.
DETAIL OF A MYTHICAL HERO. HALL OF THE GREAT MOSAIC, 64-98 CE. A close view of a fragmentary mosaic figure from the upper register of the illusionistic architecture, depicting a nude male mythical hero. Like the centaur seen earlier, this figure represents a statue adorning the fictive space. Its fantastic polychromy serves as a vivid reminder that ancient statues were richly painted in antiquity. The hero stands in a dynamic, striding posture along a red architectural baseline, carrying a chlamys draped over his left arm, perfectly fitting the heroic image but unfortunately offering no specific clues to his identity. The mosaicist has used a brilliant array of deep red, orange, and yellow tesserae to carefully render the muscular definition and lifelike flesh tones of his body. Most of the surrounding background plaster is bare and degraded, which sharply isolates and highlights the surviving brightly coloured figure.
September 14, 2026 at 10:15 PM
patrickkapty.bsky.social
Hanuman, Monkey God, Mask
wood, pigments
late 19th century
Dhimal culture
Terai, Nepal

#handmade #wood #pigments #Hanuman #monkey #god #Dhimalculture #Terai #Nepal #tribal #art #sculpture #mask #ritual #belief #religion #design #geometric #HanumanMask #Dhimal #Dhimalart #Nepaleseart #himalayanart
Monkey mask with a radiant presence. Wood, old brown and black patina, green polychromy, white highlights and signs of use. Dhimal, Terai region, Southeastern Nepal. H. 22 × W. 16 cm. Representing Hanuman, this mask is distinguished by an exceptionally pure graphic construction. The face, divided into two oblique planes, organizes the composition around a long, projecting nose that structures the entire form. The elongated eyes, the mouth set within the lower oval of the face and the green polychromy give the figure the bearing of an attentive guardian, at once calm and intensely present. Through the economy of its forms, this simian figure radiates a quiet authority.
September 14, 2026 at 12:29 PM
jsunbury.bsky.social
Anonymous Maker - Death riding a Lion (1513)
Limewood, iron, traces of polychromy, (H) 153.5 cm
www.bayerisches-nationalmuseum.de/en/collectio...
September 8, 2026 at 10:55 AM
chuffnell.bsky.social
Tympanum, St Cecilia, Cologne. Late C12, in limestone reused from an antique Roman building. Now inside the church; a cast is in its place above the north door. #TympanumTuesday

More in Alt

[ my 📷 ]
Cecilia, is crowned by an angel descending from the clouds. Her husband Valerianus and his brother Tiburtius, who were martyred with her, express their devotion. Formerly with polychromy inscription: 'VOS QUI SPECTATIS HEC PREMIA VRIGINITATIS/ EXPECTATE PARI PARITER VIRVTE BEARI'.
September 8, 2026 at 8:42 AM
antiquity.ac.uk
Whilst famous for their white appearances now, Classical statues were in fact vibrantly painted. Examination of the Parthenon Sculptures sheds light on the textures and pigments used to finish Ancient Greek statues 2/2

🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
The goddess’ new clothes: the carving and polychromy of the Parthenon Sculptures | Antiquity | Cambridge Core
White marble sculpture is a cornerstone of Western art history. Archaeological inquiry, however, has demonstrated that Classical sculpture and its associated architecture were once coloured. The authors examine the Parthenon Sculptures at the British Museum to identify traces of colour and carving on their surfaces. Using close examination and archaeometric techniques, the study shows that the sculptors finished surfaces with textures that reflected specific elements (e.g. skin, wool, linen) and these were then enhanced through the application of colour, including a purple colourant and Egyptian blue. The latter was used extensively to paint elaborate figurative designs on the carved textiles. Despite the complexity of the carved drapery, elaborate ornament was applied to the finish. The findings encourage a reconsideration of the appearance of the Parthenon in the fifth century BC.
doi.org
September 8, 2026 at 7:15 AM
alisonfisk.bsky.social
The Lady of Elche.

This remarkable 2,400 year-old limestone bust of a woman with elaborate headdress and jewellery is an icon of Iberian culture from pre-Roman Spain.

From La Alcudia, Elche, Spain. National Archaeological Museum, Madrid. 📷 by me

#Archaeology
My photo shows a famous Iberian limestone sculpture known as ‘La Dama de Elche’ / The Lady of Elche, on display at the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid. Here is a description by the museum: “Female bust that features a lady's face with very perfect features and that preserves traces of polychromy on the lips and specific areas of face and clothing. The lady is richly dressed: on her head she wears a headdress formed by a pointed tiara covered by a veil and on top of it a strap that joins the two side “cases" that frame the face, where the hairstyle and a headband would be collected on the forehead; the back and shoulders are covered with a mantle that forms folds on the front and exposes three necklaces with amphoras and amulet holders; the earrings of plates and infulas that hang on the sides of the face, and a small fibula that closes the tunic on the neckline. At the back, it has a hole whose function has given rise to numerous interpretations. It was richly painted with red, blue and yellow tones and application of gold sheets, of which hardly any traces remain. Technically and stylistically it is considered a work of strong Greek influence, possibly made by an artist of this origin, perhaps linked to the nearby town of Santa Pola, after receiving the commission of a high-ranking Iberian character. It has been speculated about its function but with a posterior opening it suggests a use as a funerary vessel, just like the Lady of Baza. At the same time, it has been interpreted as the representation of a goddess, a priestess, or some royal character or of the aristocracy adorned for a special ceremony and dressed in her best clothes that could constitute her wedding dress composed of three necklaces, diadem and fibula, comparable to those found in several treasures”.
September 7, 2026 at 3:31 PM