05-04-2007, 09:56 AM
Oh dear, Tarbicus, I fear we are in danger of falling into heated debate !!
....and on a subject that can't be definitive.
Whatever the period, Egyptian/Indian/SriLankan/Chinese culture is as "alien" to Roman as our own and comparisons are therefore inappropriate, or irrelevant.
You didn't really address the question of the Pompeii painting ( and I believe others too ), or the fact that in most cultures, painted statuary will reflect contemporary painting styles.The reference to people and clothes is not relevant, either.
As to your point about different tones showing up in the analysis, that may be true, but isn't it more likely that they "sampled" spots at intervals than that they examined the entire surface? Only more detailed information can resolve that question.
As you have seen above, I agree with you that Rome as a culture is as alien as Mars, despite all the things we think we know.But we can deduce various things from what we do know. I do not say you are wrong, your hypothesis is certainly possible, but on balance of probability, and in the light of absence of solid fact, I think the 'style' link between painting and painted sculpture will be much the same, as in most cultures.
The present analysis simply confirms that the statues were painted and some indication of colour, not HOW they were painted.
One point to note before re-enactors embrace these colours is that it is obvious that in many cases the painter has a very limited palate, sometimes only three or four colours(e.g the Alexander sarcophogus)
As a final throw into the balance, medieaval culture is often regarded as a continuation ( if on a less sophisticated level than high roman .....no central heating for a start !! ) and as can be seen above, their sculpture painting was way ahead of crude Egyptian etc styles........
Let us agree that much more information and analysis is required before any conclusions can be asserted.....
regards, Paullus Scipio/Paul McDonnell-Staff
....and on a subject that can't be definitive.
Whatever the period, Egyptian/Indian/SriLankan/Chinese culture is as "alien" to Roman as our own and comparisons are therefore inappropriate, or irrelevant.
You didn't really address the question of the Pompeii painting ( and I believe others too ), or the fact that in most cultures, painted statuary will reflect contemporary painting styles.The reference to people and clothes is not relevant, either.
As to your point about different tones showing up in the analysis, that may be true, but isn't it more likely that they "sampled" spots at intervals than that they examined the entire surface? Only more detailed information can resolve that question.
As you have seen above, I agree with you that Rome as a culture is as alien as Mars, despite all the things we think we know.But we can deduce various things from what we do know. I do not say you are wrong, your hypothesis is certainly possible, but on balance of probability, and in the light of absence of solid fact, I think the 'style' link between painting and painted sculpture will be much the same, as in most cultures.
The present analysis simply confirms that the statues were painted and some indication of colour, not HOW they were painted.
One point to note before re-enactors embrace these colours is that it is obvious that in many cases the painter has a very limited palate, sometimes only three or four colours(e.g the Alexander sarcophogus)
As a final throw into the balance, medieaval culture is often regarded as a continuation ( if on a less sophisticated level than high roman .....no central heating for a start !! ) and as can be seen above, their sculpture painting was way ahead of crude Egyptian etc styles........
Let us agree that much more information and analysis is required before any conclusions can be asserted.....
regards, Paullus Scipio/Paul McDonnell-Staff
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
