Protective Spirits, Assyrian, 645–640 BC, Nineveh, North Palace, reign of Ashurbanipal, gypsum. British Museum, London, 1856,0909.27, 1856. Image © The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved
Art Break: Uncovering Color in Ancient Assyrian Sculpture
ONLINE ONLY
This is a past event
Why do once brilliantly painted sculptures from ancient Assyria, Greece, and Rome look colorless or white today? How do experts identify color on ancient objects even when the eye sees no trace? Join Getty antiquities conservator Marie Svoboda and Assyriologist Shiyanthi Thavapalan as they discuss the aesthetic and symbolic importance of color in the ancient world and the science of discovering what remains.
This program complements the exhibition Assyria: Palace Art of Ancient Iraq on view through September 5, 2022.