Project « Polychrome : the colours of roman sculptures revealed »

Assembled by Raoul Warocqué, with the expert advice of Franz Cumont, Mariemont’s collection of Greek and Roman sculptures is one of the largest in Europe. And yet it has never been examined in detail.

The aim of this project is to create an analytical catalogue of the detailed documentation about all these sculptures, preceded by scientific articles surrounding the history of the collection, and also typological, stylistic and archaeometric studies. As such, it ties in with the PolyChromA project (https://www.polychroma.uliege.be/cms/c_6264927/en/polychroma) which uses imaging techniques under different light sources to identify traces of polychrome on the statues, ascertain the types of pigments used by running physico-chemical analyses and investigate the social signification of the colours in the Roman era .

Axes de recherche :

Greek and Roman Antiquities

Référents :

Nicolas Amoroso

Richard Veymiers

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The roman cult of Mithras

This research programme is investigating the Cult of Mithras, a mysterious god from the East who was the subject of a very unusual and extremely popular cult in the Roman Empire.

Domestic deities in the Roman Empire

Mariemont’s Roman antiquities collection includes a large number of bronze statuettes of deities. Spread over all four corners of the Empire, these objects could be found in small private temples in Roman homes.

On the trail of Mariemont's antiques

Mariemont’s Greek and Roman collections were assembled at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. An indication of provenance has been documented for most of the objects. However, they have more often than not passed through the hands of collectors.

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