Minerva in Colours: First Results on a Polychrome Roman Sculpture from Carnuntum (Pannonia)

Abstract

This paper presents the first results of a current interdisciplinary research project on the polychromy of Roman provincial stone artefacts in selected areas of the Danubian provinces (PolychroMon). The statuary group of Minerva and the Genius immunium from Carnuntum (Archaeological Museum Carnuntinum inv. CAR-S-48) is dated to the second half of the second century AD and still retains traces of the original polychromy. The aim was to focus on non-invasive techniques and to employ micro-invasive methods for necessary cross-checking and gaining information otherwise not accessible. The investigation revealed that paint was applied on a layer of white lime wash. Additionally, the object shows several traces of Egyptian blue, which was mainly detected in Minerva’s and the Genius’ clothes. Other pigments whose traces were found on the sculpture include green earth, yellow and red ochre, as well as red lead and carbon black. Microscopic analysis confirms the presence of modern-age compounds as well (barium sulphate and zinc oxide) used for modern retouches. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry revealed the use of egg as the major proteinaceous binding medium in the red lead polychromy.

pXRF and Polychromy: Identifying Pigments on Limestone Statuary from the Roman Limes, Preliminary Results

“…Although preliminary, some of the results are as expected insofar as the statue appears to have been covered in a gypsum preparatory layer and ochres used to create skin-tone along with green Earth [4]. Although not widespread across the sculpture, the results suggest small amounts of more expensive, and less easy to acquire in frontier contexts, pigments in some of the mixtures.…”

“…For example, microphotography combined with pXRF results irrefutably confirm that sculpted folds of the peplos and palla are given additional depth through shading with a bone black mixture, which appears in some features to be mixed in a semi-transparent, possibly resinous, substance (see microphotographs 17 and 22). This is an extremely innovative practice that has recently been identified on the belt of a Minerva sculpture from Pannonia [4] where a thin layer of carbon black and ochre overlaid Egyptian blue enhanced the sculpted feature.…”

“…Critically, a secondary period of use for the statues could have entailed an early medieval repainting of the tomb figures [14]. Repainting of stone monuments may also have been practiced in Roman times, potentially replicating original colours, while medieval artists may have applied different colours reflecting contemporaneous preferences hundreds of years later [4] (p. 5230) [15]. The presumed site lies within a protected nature reserve today, so it is not possible to perform any exploratory excavations to confirm exact locations or associated structures.…”

“…Since interest in provincial Roman polychromy [1][2][3][4] is increasing exponentially, these sculptures have been selected as the principal components of a digital reconstruction and colouration of their associated funerary monument [5]. Preliminary, as yet unpublished, micro-samples were extracted from a small number of locations on the two complete statues in 2022 [6].…”