The colors and design of the Parthenon frieze
The return of the Parthenon Marbles is an issue of international debate. Nevertheless, the sculptures themselves are always a source of pride and aesthetic enjoyment, not to mention research.
The reunification of the Parthenon Marbles with the monuments from which they were forcibly detached in the 19th century is something on which almost all Greeks agree.
But was the Parthenon always pristine white? Are we correct in assuming that the ancients were minimalists, or is our perception of ancient Greek art misguided by how it was depicted in the Renaissance? Recent research has discovered tiny traces of red and blue pigment on the Marbles themselves and there is enough evidence from other artifacts dating to the same period to suggest that the were painted.
Now the renowned artist Pavlos Samios is set to present his own interpretation of how these marble masterpieces were painted by the ancients. His lecture, which will be given at the College Year in Athens Auditorium (5 Stadiou Square, Kallimarmaro) at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, is titled “Re-envisioned: The Color and Design of the Parthenon Frieze.”
This talk will be the keynote speech of the 3rd Annual CYA Student Conference “The Iconography of Power: Art, Politics, Propaganda & Religion in the Mediterranean across Time.”
Undergraduate students from American universities who are studying at CYA for a year or a semester will be presenting their research on the influential role pictorial art plays in characterizing certain individuals as well as social groups.
