Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Joannes Richter
Introduction
The international exhibition Bunte Götter (“Coloured Gods”), organized by the Munich Glyptothek
in 2004, and shown in Istanbul in 2006 and in Athens in 2007 presented a great number of
reconstructed artworks. A number (26) of these coloured idols have been documented in the
Wikimedia Commons in the Category:Bunte Götter exhibition.
This article analyses the colouring codes in the overview and cross-references to other works of art.
The study restricts the analysis to repetitive patterns, which allows us to identify alternating
colouring symbols.
Architecture
Temples
Apart from the idols, which often are multi-coloured, the most striking coloration is the alternating
colouring in red and blue of the tympanum in the Temple of Aphaia. A similar coloured tympanum
has also been found at the Acropolis temple as reconstructed in the fries at the British Museum.
The delicate Chapter House, where the day to day business of the Minster was run, was begun in about 1260. The
decorative medallion in the center is hand painted with red, blue, green, ivory and gilt. And the central boss, which
would have been barely visible from below, is an elaborate, vividly-painted design featuring a lamb and other Christian
symbols...
Keystones
Due to several camera angles necessary to work around show-case frames, it was impossible to join
the photographs 100% exactly. This restoration required 300 hours of intense work.
Intellectual property of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RF: You may use this material
for non-commercial purposes.
If published in print or on a website, please give a credit to CESRAS.
Photography by Marsyas
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
The swastika has been found in similar decorations, applying red & blue alternating colours, such as
the kore.
Fig. 19: Greek warrior from the Temple of Athena Aphaia to Aegina
Reconstruction of polychromic decoration on the head of a Greek warrior from the Temple of
Athena Aphaia to Aegina. Around 490 BC. AD Exhibition "Bunte Götter" in the version shown in
Athens. Study: Vinzenz Brinkmann. Restoration of the marble copy: Gabriela Tobin. Painting:
Sylvia Kellner. Original: Glyptothèque Munich.
Restitution du décor polychrome d'un archer troyen («Paris») provenant du fronton Ouest temple
d'Athéna Aphaia à Égine. Vers 490 av. J.-C. Exposition « Bunte Götter » dans la version montrée à
Athènes. Etude : Vinzenze Brinkmann et Hermann Pflug. Peinture : Ulrike Koch-Brinkmann. Arc et
flèches : Sylvia Kellner et Ina Kleiß. Boucles de cheveux : Olaf Herzog. Original : Munich,
Staatliche Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek.
Cuirassed torso of a warrior (an archer ?), from the Acropolis, ca. 470 BC.
NAMABG MA599 Cuirass…
Zserghei
public domain
Wikimedia Commons.
Info from Nefertiti bust:
The Nefertiti Bust is a 3300-year-old painted limestone bust of Nefertiti, the Great Royal Wife of
the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten and is one of the most copied works of ancient Egypt. Due to the
bust, Nefertiti has become one of the most famous women from the ancient world as well as an icon
of female beauty. It is believed to have been crafted in 1345 BC by the sculptor Thutmose.
Fig. 24: Nefertiti bust in Neues Museum, Berlin
Zserghei
public domain
Wikimedia Commons.
Conclusion
Modern archaeology allows us to identify the colouring symbols at buildings and sculptures.
However ancient colours may be hard to identify and the use of reconstructed data1 or high quality
photographs will help to avoid errors in identifications.
The Bible (Exodus, 2. Book of Chronicles2) specifies Purple, Red and Blue as divine commands for
garments and temple decorations.
At the Theban Dynasty period3 Egyptian temples generally reveal decorations in red, blue, green
and golden. Egyptian paintings usually apply the colour red for the (male) sun and blue and a minor
amount of green for the wings of the solar disc.
At 500BC Greek temples apply red and blue (and minor amounts of green) for decorations at the
tympanum. Medieval churches prefer colour combinations of red, blue and (minor amounts of)
green for ceilings, keystones and portico's.
Hellenic garments may be decorated with any colour combinations of red, blue, green and yellow.
Greek-Roman garments may either apply purple or red & blue patterns for religious symbols.
Medieval garments however apply purple, red & blue for divine or sacred and imperial symbolism.
In the Middle Age yellow and green will often be considered as evil4 symbols (to be reserved for
evil characters).
Summary
Artists in ancient cultures (Egyptian, Roman, Greek and Hebrew people) seem to have preferred red
and blue – colour combinations for decorations, but they used other colours as well. In medieval
periods red and blue were the favourite symbols for painting saints and divine persons.
Up to the Middle Age there does not seem to be any negative symbolism attributed to the colours
yellow and green, which were to be avoided in medieval paintings and sculptures.