The Met Jul 7, 2022 Archaeologists Vinzenz and Ulrike Koch Brinkmann have spent the last 40 years dedicated to the study of polychromy—or “many colors” in Greek—in ancient sculpture. Once a fringe area of study, their research combats the misconception of white purity in ancient Greece and Rome. They reflect on the marble bust of Caligula and how the reconstruction of its former color can help us better understand history. Explore more perspectives on Caligula: https://www.metmuseum.org/perspective… The Spotlight series features new perspectives on a single work from The Met collection each month. Familiar and celebrated works serve as the focal point for dialogue—posing questions, building understanding, and conveying how the presence of the work in the Museum has altered, limited, or enhanced the work’s interpretation. The series explores different ways of knowing, and relates to themes beyond art and museums through the expertise and personal experience of invited guests. Explore more of Spotlight: https://www.metmuseum.org/perspective… Subscribe for new content from The Met: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDlz…

For most people today, ancient Greek sculpture brings to mind images of pearly white human figures. Yet, ever since the first excavations of Pompeii in the 17th century, archeologists have known that these sculptures were painted in vivid colours. The German archeologists Vinzenz Brinkmann and Ulrike Koch-Brinkmann have been studying the polychromatic nature of ancient Greek sculptures for some four decades – a process that involves research through reconstruction. In this short film from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Brinkmann discusses their process, and why the visual code of white antique marble persists today.

Video by the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Directors: Sarah Cowan, Jonathan Sanden