Project « Polychrome : the colours of roman sculptures revealed »

This project, directed by Elisabetta Neri (Post-doctorate student at the Universities of Liege and Florence), is investigating the social significance of colour in Roman times. It focuses on the analysis of traces of polychrome on statues from the Roman era. Invisible to the naked eye, they are uncovered using imaging techniques under different light sources (infrared, UV, etc.). Physico-chemical analyses are conducted to identify the composition of the pigments.

Five of Mariemont’s Roman sculptures were examined using this method, notably a bust in the effigy of the god Serapis found in Rome. In addition to identifying the pigments and techniques, in-depth research is conducted into the history of these objects, from their discovery until their arrival at Mariemont. The 3D digitalization of the works is currently underway with the aim of creating a three-dimensional model of each sculpture incorporating all the polychrome data. This will be used for scientific and educational purposes.

Axes de recherche :

Greek and Roman Antiquities

Référent :

Nicolas Amoroso

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Scientific team

Each curator is responsible for one of the museum sections (Egyptian & Near Eastern Antiquities, Greek & Roman Antiquities, Regional & Estate Archaeology, Decorative Arts, Non-European Arts, Regional & Estate History), its preservation and development. They also create the content for the Museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions in their own specific field.

Découvrez leurs travaux de recherche et biographies