We contunie our works and investigations related with our main “Rome in 3D” project and “Romans in color” projects. Today we’re happy to precent our new work – it is the reconstruction of colors of the famous statue of Augustus from Prima Porta.
It is known that the remains of the painting were visible on the sculpture shortly after the discovery, but then they disappeared, or they were removed during restoration. Using the written references to those traces of coloring, as well as the results of recent studies to find the remains of pigments in marble, we propose our own version of the reconstruction.
The sculpture is famous for its richly decorated cuirass relief, which was apparently also painted in varied and vibrant colors. The scenes have both a mythological and a historical basis, and carry a powerful ideological message about the essence and achievements of the policy of Emperor Augustus.
Lets take a look at them closer:
1 – A Parthian (bearded and in baggy clothes, returning the lost standards to a representative of the roman army (Mars, Augustus or Tiberius).
2 – representative of the Celtic tribes
3 – representative of Hispania or Gaul (?)
4 – Sol, the sun-god, in his four horse chariot
5 – Aurora, the winged goddess of Dawn
6 – Venus, who is referred to as the Morning Star, carrying the torch Aurora
7 – Caelus, the sky-god
8 – Apollo riding a winged griffin
9 – Diana riding on her hind
10 – reclining figure of Tellus, representing the Bountiful Earth
1 Comment
Excellent