Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color at The Met Reveals the Vibrant Polychromy of Classical Art

Key facts

• Ancient Greek and Roman sculptures and architecture were originally painted with pigments such as red, blue, ochre, black, and gold.
• The misconception of white marble as an aesthetic ideal has persisted for centuries.
• Ancient sources like Vitruvius and Pausanias documented the use of pigments in sacred architecture and divine images.
• The ancient palette included mineral pigments, organic dyes, Egyptian blue, and natural binders like beeswax, casein, animal glues, and egg white.
• Modern non-invasive techniques such as multiband imaging, UV fluorescence, XRF spectroscopy, and UV-VIS reflectance allow in-situ analysis of original surfaces.
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York held the 2023 exhibition 'Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color' to address the topic.
• The exhibition was developed with Vinzenz Brinkmann and Ulrike Koch-Brinkmann and featured reconstructions based on scientific analysis.
• The show argued that color communicated status, sacrality, and belonging in ancient art.
• The white marble ideal was reinforced by neoclassicism and the writings of Winckelmann.
• The article was published on Artribune in August 2026.