Ancient Greek statues weren’t white. They had colorful painted outfits, study says

Some of the most famous statues in the world are now revealing their true colors.

The Elgin Marbles, a collection of ancient Greek sculptures, were not originally white, as they appear now. When they were first installed on the Parthenon some 2,500 years ago, they were colorfully painted, according to a study published Oct. 11 in the journal Antiquity.

But over time, just as the Statue of Liberty turned from gold to green, the marbles turned from multicolored to monochromatic.

Researchers at the British Museum, where the statues are held, made this discovery after spotting traces of paint on the ancient busts.

The microscopic strokes were found using pioneering and non-invasive digital imaging techniques, according to a news release from King’s College London.

Three colors were detected: purple, white and blue, which would have been sourced from Egypt, researchers said.

“Finding remnants of a color does not necessarily mean that surfaces were uniformly painted with that color, as we have evidence of mixtures to achieve different hues,” Giovanni Verri, one of the study’s authors, told McClatchy News. “In particular, Egyptian blue is known to have been used in many hues, from leather to purple and green, and even skin tones...”

The colors would have been used to paint various outfits, including those made from wool, skin and linen, carved on the statues.

“The use of color might also have been intended to aid the viewer in the identification of the figures from a distance, for religious or even political purposes,” researchers said.

The colors would also have displayed the grandeur of the Athenian Empire.

Interestingly, the statues were painted not only on their front sides, but on their backs, where no one would have been able to see them.

It’s possible that the sculptures, placed on a temple dedicated to the Greek gods, were fully coated in order to please the all-seeing eyes of their deities.

It’s long been known that many classical sculptures were originally painted, but, until now, paint had never been found on the Elgin Marbles despite having been scrutinized for centuries.

“I think that this is another example where we see that art is always full of surprises,” Verri said. “We can study it and dissect it as much as we can, but the intangible qualities of artistic creation will always escape us, which is perhaps one of (the) reasons why we are so attracted to it.”

This story was originally published October 13, 2023 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Ancient Greek statues weren’t white. They had colorful painted outfits, study says."