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Athens (Attica) | Attica | Athens City

National Archaeological Museum of Athens: Gods In Color

On January 29, 2007, a new Exhibition was opened to the public at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. After having made the rounds at a variety of Museums in Europe, “Gods in Color” has been on view in Athens until March 25th. However, thanks to our Album, visitors to our website will be enjoying it permanently! The 21 casts exhibited (in Ground floor Galleries 44 and 45) are of well-known statues (Cuirassed torso of the statue of an archer or chariot driver from the Acropolis Museum, Akr 599, the bronze head of a victor from Glyptothek München, the “Peplos Kore” from the Acropolis of Athens Museum, Akr. 679, the Lion of Loutraki, etc), of Tombstone Stelae (tombstone of Aristion, the one of Paramythion, etc), of Pediment sculptures (from the Athena Afaea Temple in Aegina, the East Frieze of the Siphnian Treasury in Delphi, parts of the so called Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great) and specimens of real pigment used in antiquity. (Text and Photos: Michael Tziotis)

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Click on any of the pictures to enlarge.

Temple of Aphaea at Aegina - Colored Reconstruction of the West Pediment

Since 1811, when the temple of Aphaia was being excavated, traces of colors were observed on elements of its architecture.

In 1901, Adolf Furtwängler, being director of the Sculpture Gallery of Munich, resumed the excavations on Aegina. He studied traces of the adjustment of the individual sculptures on the pediments. Hence, he found assurance for the reconstruction of the composition of the sculptures. In consequence, he asked the sculptor Karl Baur to create a model of both pediments in scale 1:5. The two models are not only important for visualising the original composition of the sculptures, but also for their depiction in vivid colors. In particular in the last third of the 19th century there were more sculpture found that had traces of colors surviving. Knowing them, the figures of the models of the pediments in plaster were colored with blue, red and gold.

Since Furtwängler, however, did not have information about the ornaments of the garments or armor, he used as references not only the newly find archaic sculptures from the Acropolis of Athens, but also contemporary Attic vases. Thus, he took the winged boar for the emblem of one of the shields from the famous bowl of Euphronios. Even if the models were not correct in some of the details, Furtwängler always tried to reach the highest authenticity and scientific perfection possible. The models had been on display in the "Room of the Aiginetes" in the Sculpture Gallery in Munich and were destroyed in World War II.

A second version of the model of the western pediment is exhibited in Zurich.



The Temple of Aphaea at Aegina Info Sign

The Temple of Aphaea at Aegina Info Sign
The Temple of Aphaea at Aegina General Reconstruction View

The Temple of Aphaea at Aegina General Reconstruction View
Athena, the warring Goddess

Athena, the warring Goddess


Athena appears among Greeks and Trojans joined in battle. She is armed with a lance, shield and helmet. Over her chiton she wears her particular armor, the aegis. Live snakes curl along its edge, and it is covered with over a thousand small, scale-shaped plates which become visible under ultraviolet light. Under raking light, a meander pattern is revealed on the mounting of the helmet's crest and down the middle of the chiton.

The color scheme can be reconstructed with a fair degree of accuracy on the basis of UV photography and the weathering relief of the original. The result corresponds to other representations of the goddess, such as on the Siphnian Frieze at Delphi.

The malachite green color of the snakes is hypothetical, but the red color around the eyes and mouth can be seen to have survived on the original.

The reconstruction has been intentionally left incomplete. It gives an impression of the transformation effected by the painting of the white stone.
Gods in Color: Athena, the warring Goddess

Gods in Color: Athena, the warring Goddess


Detail of the 'Chiton'

Examination, documentation and reconstruction: Vinzenz Brinkmann
Painting (using authentic pigments and binder): Ulrike Koch-Brinkmann, Sylvia Kellner
Restorations: Sylvia Kellner, Olag Herzog

Blue = Azurite
Red = Cinnabar
Green = Malachite
Yellow = Ochre

Painted cast: Stiftung Archäologie
Original: Staatliche Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek, Μunich
Gods in Color: Athena, the warring Goddess

Gods in Color: Athena, the warring Goddess


Detail of the live snakes curling along her chitons edge
Gods in Color: Athena, the warring Goddess

Gods in Color: Athena, the warring Goddess


Detail of the live snakes curling along her chitons edge
Gods in Color: The Archer 'Paris'

Gods in Color: The Archer 'Paris'


The Trojan archer's tight-fitting trousers are decorated with a complicated zigzag pattern. Over the long-sleeved tunic with a diamond pattern he wears a sleeveless jerkin. The jerkin is decorated with borders and small lions and gryphons. The photographs taken with raking light and ultraviolet light reveal all the details of this magnificent costume. This is characteristic of the Greeks' eastern "barbarian" neighbors: the so-called "Persian Rider" from the Athenian Acropolis is shown here, together with a close-up of color preserved on his trousers.

Few coloring has survived on "Paris". However, no less than four levels can be distinguished in the weathering relief and combined with ultraviolet photography, traces of color on other figures on the pediment and on sculptures such as the "Persian Rider" This evidence is sufficient to permit a reliable reconstruction of the color scheme. The color pigments correspond to those found during recent excavations at the temple. The archer's hair was executed separately in painted lead.
Gods in Color: The Archer

Gods in Color: The Archer "Paris", Back side


Examination, documentation and interpretation: Vinzenz Brinkmann, Hermann Pflug
Development of reconstruction, painting (using authentic pigments and binder): Ulrike Koch-Brinkmann
Bow and arrow: Sylvia Kellner, Ina Kleiß
Locks of hair in lead: Olaf Herzog
Blue = Azurite
Red = Cinnabar
Green = Malachite
Yellow = Ochre
Skin color = Madder, Calcite
Painted cast: Stiftung Archäologie, Universität Heidelberg
Original: Munich, Staatliche Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek
Gods in Color: The Archer to Athena's left

Gods in Color: The Archer to Athena's left


This is an info sign to help the visitor locate the second archer, shown in the following two photos
Gods in Color: The Archer to Athena's left

Gods in Color: The Archer to Athena's left


Partial reconstruction (?)
Gods in Color: The Archer to Athena's left

Gods in Color: The Archer to Athena's left

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