Altes Museum, Berlin Germany

This week I was in Berlin Germany, and had an opportunity to visit the Altes Museum. The subject of my particular interest in this visit was searching for traces of paint on the classical sculpture. When we think of sculpture today, we mostly imagine that naked stone was the preferred final product of ancient times, though in context the ancient peoples painted their sculptures, and considered a sculpture without paint, defaced. Our conception of naked stone sculptures, is based on finding the remains in the renaissance, and renaissance artists recreating the paint-less sculptures that were found. In modern times, to think of painting a sculpture would be considered strange and aesthetically odd. It is interesting to see how tastes can change as time progresses.

The Altes Museum, Berlin

Interesting color scheme on a moulding

Athena, with serpent necklace

Painted figures

More painted terracotta molding

This sculpture was interesting in that it was of a common fisherman, instead of a god or ceasar. traces of paint can be seen on upper right arm.

Painted Woman with sun hat

Painted funerary mask, Roman Egypt.

Impressive Egyptian granite bust

Interesting Egyptian bust, skull shape depicts royalty

Egyptian paintings

Unfinished Egyptian bust, painted areas were to be worked down further