Introduction to Ancient Art
New discoveries related to works of art in ancient Greece and Rome continue to be made. A recent study found that statues in ancient times were often perfumed. After studying ancient texts, researchers found evidence of the use of perfumes and scented oils on the statues of gods and goddesses to make them appear more lifelike.
The Use of Perfumes and Scented Oils
The Roman writer Cicero referred to the treatment of a statue of the Greek goddess Artemis in Sicily, while the poet Callimachus described the statue of Queen Berenice II of Egypt. The study also cited archaeological evidence from the sanctuary of Delos in Greece, where perfume workshops were unearthed and inscriptions refer to scents and oils used on statues of gods such as Artemis and Hera. This is evidence that looking at a statue in ancient times was both a visual and olfactory experience.
The Myth of Whiteness in Classical Sculpture
In ancient times, if one approached the Temple of Aphaia on the Greek island of Aegina, one would see a sculpture of a young archer, painted in bright colors to appear as lifelike as possible. Contemporary writings on art mention the fact that sculptures in ancient Greece were painted and the white marble was not exposed. Many people today are surprised to learn that classical statues were full of color.
The Origin of the Myth
This strange concept of colorless sculptures comes from the Renaissance, when form was more important than color. Renaissance artists believed that ancient statues were made of polished marble and designed their works accordingly, contributing to the creation of the myth. The colors of most ancient statues had faded by the time they were first excavated, so it was assumed that they had always been colorless.
Colorful Objects Obscured
The truth was intentionally withheld from the public to conform to society’s ideals. For example, the statue "Laocoon and his Sons" found in Rome in 1503 had colors that were "deliberately overlooked." Traces of color were often attributed to "barbarians." The white marble of “Laocoon and His Sons” may have been covered with bright colors, as evidenced by traces of paint on the statue.
Fitting Art into Ideologies
Part of this myth of whiteness can be attributed to the 18th-century German art historian and archaeologist Johann Winckelmann. He supposedly said, “The whiter the body, the more beautiful it is” and “color contributes to beauty, but it is not beauty.” Winckelmann was an Enlightenment thinker, and the science-oriented Enlightenment period gave rise to modern ideas about racism.
Hitler and the White Sculpture
In the 20th century, fascism appropriated the idea of white figures from antiquity as symbols of white supremacy. Both Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler particularly praised the art and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome, and the idea of white classical statues was useful in conceptualizing racial superiority.
The Use of Color in Ancient Greek Art
The diverse colors used in ancient Greek statues are believed to be related to different categorical concepts. Color was also probably used frequently in ancient Greek art to show gender: Men were depicted with darker skin as they typically worked outdoors, while women were often painted white as it was ideal to stay indoors and out of the sun. Blonde hair, typically seen on Greek gods, warriors and athletes, symbolized power. A gray skin tone symbolized virtue and bravery, while the white skin of the young women’s figures "proclaimed the grace and splendor of youth."
