It does make my imagination surge with the colors of the times. I think many envision the ancient world as so many people running around in white garments when it was as colorful then as it is today. In fact, for garments, white is one of the hardest colors to maintain, so I see even more color being the case. Great lecture.
@@AncientRomeLive WASP people use to make fun of all the vibrant colors of Mexico ~ & now they have all these gaudy colors in their classical European marble statuary 😮😂🎉!
As always, seeing the video and reading the comments provide a wealth of fascinating information. In looking at the white marble, we see the bones of ancient Rome and not the flesh, so to speak. Thanks to Darius and fellow commenters.
I would like to make a note regarding the reconstruction of the colors of the statue of Augustus. In the video it is shown and it is assumed that the aforementioned statue looked like this. The fact is that it is a fairly widespread error as a result of work done by Paolo Liverani. This work was intended to show what the base colors of the statue were but in no case, the reconstruction he made and on which this video is based, intends to say that his final appearance was that. To those base colors another layer of colors would be applied to obtain the final result (the final color). To have a more accurate image of what this statue would look like, look for the work that Jesús Mendiola and Emma Zahonero did on it or the video "The true colors of Augustus of Prima Porta".
Indeed, it was an indication. There have been many more precise studies done - such as by J. Pollini... Thus the limitations on the images we had available for the lecture...
Our pleasure. Do check out our recent videos- from Roman bridges to the Via Appia journey (still in progress). We pride ourselves on bringing you to the real locations.
No we have not- would be nice to have some graphics to go along with it! On a later occasion, when we film in a museum we will be able to better illustrate.
Painting the statues makes sense, but why wouldn"t the painting be more sensitive? Think of things like The Moses Well, or those painted terrracotta's from the Renaissance? For example by Pietro Torrigiano? Whay would a sculptor labor for hundreds of hours allow his work to be so lazily painted?
I mean the skin would not have been left marble white... especially for a man but ya... however if you look at first style frescos in Roman houses the pillars are left white and some statues too... so who knows
Because the vernacular use of BC/AD doesn't account for a 33 year gap, and therefore makes no sense and has no place in any serious academic discussions
Rationally, they must have been painted to look natural and alive, not this gaudy and comical product of silly internet "artists". Why would a people that carved into stone such magnificent and detailed human forms, paint them so carelessly, garishly and non-humanly?? Why would they carve a masterpiece in hard rock, to only paint it (the easiest part) in this laughable way?? The Roman portraits and frescoes are the best example of naturalistic paint (even the funerary masks, from way out there in the Roman Egypt). (Foundation colors should not be confused with surface colors either)
Yes that model of the Augustus Prima Porta is only for illustrative purposes- in the Vatican Museums still today- and gives an idea of the painting. (Traces exist - but are very faint on the Augustus PP). At any rate, there are many good scholarly studies (and recreations) that exist and on display in many museums these days.
@@TWOCOWS1 That was the subject of a scholarly study (years old) created by the Vatican Museums- not sure what you mean. Please keep your comments constructive and polite. The purpose of our videos is educational in a positive manner. We expect the same in the comments. Thank you.
@@AncientRomeLive surely, but pls tell me what "impolite" thing I wrote so that I won't again. i hope you dont mean that any rational objection or criticism is automatically considered impolite?
I have to agree with Clarence Spencer. The colors depicted are much too flat. Why would the Romans hide the artistry of the sculptor with such flat and unshaded paint?
@@howtubeable hear hear! unfortunately, some people become bombastic, when you point at a glaring fault, no matter how rational. "my way or highway" remain the favorite motto.......
It does make my imagination surge with the colors of the times. I think many envision the ancient world as so many people running around in white garments when it was as colorful then as it is today. In fact, for garments, white is one of the hardest colors to maintain, so I see even more color being the case. Great lecture.
Thank you. YEs, there were vibrant colors- as vibrant on the paintings we need to enivision on marble- statuary and every architectural features.
@@AncientRomeLive WASP people use to make fun of all the vibrant colors of Mexico ~ & now they have all these gaudy colors in their classical European marble statuary 😮😂🎉!
As always, seeing the video and reading the comments provide a wealth of fascinating information. In looking at the white marble, we see the bones of ancient Rome and not the flesh, so to speak. Thanks to Darius and fellow commenters.
Thanks for sharing
The ancient world was as vibrantly colored as today's. 🎉
I would like to make a note regarding the reconstruction of the colors of the statue of Augustus. In the video it is shown and it is assumed that the aforementioned statue looked like this. The fact is that it is a fairly widespread error as a result of work done by Paolo Liverani. This work was intended to show what the base colors of the statue were but in no case, the reconstruction he made and on which this video is based, intends to say that his final appearance was that. To those base colors another layer of colors would be applied to obtain the final result (the final color). To have a more accurate image of what this statue would look like, look for the work that Jesús Mendiola and Emma Zahonero did on it or the video "The true colors of Augustus of Prima Porta".
Indeed, it was an indication. There have been many more precise studies done - such as by J. Pollini... Thus the limitations on the images we had available for the lecture...
Wow. Love lecturers like this. Thanks for sharing your expertise here.
Our pleasure. Do check out our recent videos- from Roman bridges to the Via Appia journey (still in progress). We pride ourselves on bringing you to the real locations.
Excellent
Have you done a piece of how Roman portrait statuary was actually assembled, since much of it was obviously not carved from a single block of stone?
No we have not- would be nice to have some graphics to go along with it! On a later occasion, when we film in a museum we will be able to better illustrate.
Detailed!
That head at the start looks like Elvis...
"I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble."
-Words attributed to Augustus
So true. He also said "make haste slowly." Words to live by!
is this a vaporwave album cover? oh
Please, do not forget the Special video(s) of The Roman contributions in Jbala, Ghomera and Western Riff
please send email, details on your ideas to dar@romanculture.org
@@AncientRomeLive thank you
Why don't you show how it would have looked when painted?
How much of the Arch of Titus, other than the interior reliefs, is original and how much is restoration?
We will post a video on it/ the inner part of the arch with reliefs is original. The outer portion is a restoration by Valadier in the 19C.
Painting the statues makes sense, but why wouldn"t the painting be more sensitive? Think of things like The Moses Well, or those painted terrracotta's from the Renaissance? For example by Pietro Torrigiano? Whay would a sculptor labor for hundreds of hours allow his work to be so lazily painted?
As was the painting in the Middle Ages. We are monochrome now
I mean the skin would not have been left marble white... especially for a man but ya... however if you look at first style frescos in Roman houses the pillars are left white and some statues too... so who knows
Why do you use the term BCE?
It's BC
BCE is political correctness.
I unsubscribe from people who use the term BCE
Because the vernacular use of BC/AD doesn't account for a 33 year gap, and therefore makes no sense and has no place in any serious academic discussions
Painted Greek and Roman statues look like cartoons.......the plain white statues looks vastly better.
The models we show that are painted are of cheap materials. Paint on original marble looks vastly better.
Rationally, they must have been painted to look natural and alive, not this gaudy and comical product of silly internet "artists". Why would a people that carved into stone such magnificent and detailed human forms, paint them so carelessly, garishly and non-humanly?? Why would they carve a masterpiece in hard rock, to only paint it (the easiest part) in this laughable way?? The Roman portraits and frescoes are the best example of naturalistic paint (even the funerary masks, from way out there in the Roman Egypt). (Foundation colors should not be confused with surface colors either)
Yes that model of the Augustus Prima Porta is only for illustrative purposes- in the Vatican Museums still today- and gives an idea of the painting. (Traces exist - but are very faint on the Augustus PP). At any rate, there are many good scholarly studies (and recreations) that exist and on display in many museums these days.
@@TWOCOWS1 That was the subject of a scholarly study (years old) created by the Vatican Museums- not sure what you mean. Please keep your comments constructive and polite. The purpose of our videos is educational in a positive manner. We expect the same in the comments. Thank you.
@@AncientRomeLive surely, but pls tell me what "impolite" thing I wrote so that I won't again. i hope you dont mean that any rational objection or criticism is automatically considered impolite?
I have to agree with Clarence Spencer. The colors depicted are much too flat. Why would the Romans hide the artistry of the sculptor with such flat and unshaded paint?
@@howtubeable hear hear! unfortunately, some people become bombastic, when you point at a glaring fault, no matter how rational. "my way or highway" remain the favorite motto.......
mostly all these statues were done in the 18th and 19th centuries.