Talk about old news. People have known for decades that the antique sculptures were painted, and not only painted, but waxed, over (for the Greeks but not the Romans) carefully "fractured" stone to enhance the apearance of living flesh. By fractured is meant a chiseling technique that causes tiny superficial "crazing" in the stone that refracts light, absorbing some of it, softening the look of the surface. Over that went the waxed pigments. (see Rhys Carpenter). The Romans mostly "pointed" their work, copying Greek poses by measuring and drilling to a depth and then clearing away the surplus, then refining the surface. Leon Battista Alberti described this in his book on sculpture. But the Romans added a highly convincing degree of illusionism in relief sculpture and in portraiture. I used to tell my students that the ancient Greeks would have had moving, speaking sculptures on the Parthenon if they had the technology (as in Las Vegas!). We're still trying to come up with convincing virtual sculpture in digital games, etc. The ancient Greeks would love it. Incidentally, painted architecture was also popular as evidenced by traces found on ruins, etc.
WC --- aesthete aesthete <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > http://www.projo.com/art/content/lb_ancient_color_art_05-28-08_96A0OKP_v15.23 > 7e99f.html > _________________________________________________________________ > Give to a good cause with every e-mail. Join the im > Initiative from > Microsoft. > http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Join/Default.aspx?souce=EML_WL_ > GoodCause
