{"id":18128,"date":"2020-04-05T12:03:11","date_gmt":"2020-04-05T09:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exploringgreece.tv\/%ce%bc%ce%b7-%ce%ba%ce%b1%cf%84%ce%b7%ce%b3%ce%bf%cf%81%ce%b9%ce%bf%cf%80%ce%bf%ce%b9%ce%b7%ce%bc%ce%ad%ce%bd%ce%bf\/impressive-images-of-the-parthenon-when-it-was-colored\/18128\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T09:46:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T06:46:16","slug":"impressive-images-of-the-parthenon-when-it-was-colored","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exploringgreece.tv\/en\/athens\/impressive-images-of-the-parthenon-when-it-was-colored\/18128\/","title":{"rendered":"Impressive iconic reality of the Parthenon when it was painted"},"content":{"rendered":"

We may admire the pure white of ancient statues and sculptures today, yet it seems this was not the preferred look for the artists who created them. Modern scientific methods reveal that the colorful \u2014 often vividly multicolored \u2014 appearance of ancient statues was completely normal. In fact, white was not the goal at all. Not even on the Parthenon\u2026<\/p>\n

Plato himself hints at how beautifully painted Greek architecture once was, describing an Athens very different from the one we imagine. Inscriptions also confirm that polychrome painting was considered as valuable as the sculptor\u2019s craft. Over the centuries, however, the colors did not survive. Still, traces remain in the pores of the marble. In reality, ancient art was an explosion of color and ornate decoration. Phidias \u2014 the most renowned sculptor of his time \u2014 also created a colossal statue of Athena Parthenos to be placed inside the Parthenon. Although the statue has long been lost, we know its appearance from the writings of the ancient historian Pausanias, who describes it as chryselephantine: covered in gold and ivory.<\/p>\n

The dazzling image of the Parthenon once had color<\/h3>\n

The Parthenon is undeniably the brightest monument of the Athenian state and the pinnacle of the Doric order. Construction began in 448\/7 BC, and the temple was inaugurated in 438 BC during the Great Panathenaia. The final sculptural decoration was completed in 433\/2 BC. According to the sources, the architects involved were Iktinos, Kallikrates, and possibly Phidias, who oversaw the sculptural program. It is one of the few surviving all\u2011marble Greek temples and the only Doric one with all its metopes carved in relief. Pentelic marble was used for its construction, except for the stylobate, which was made of limestone.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/picture><\/p>\n

What many people do not know is that large parts of the sculptural decoration, the architrave, and the coffered ceiling once carried painted motifs in red, blue, and gold. In other words, the Parthenon did not always have the white appearance we see today \u2014 it was adorned with vibrant colors in several of its architectural elements.<\/p>\n

The BBC even describes the Parthenon Sculptures as works once covered in an explosion of color and striking decoration.<\/p>\n

A vivid reconstruction of the Acropolis of Pericles<\/h3>\n

An impressive production titled Interactive Tour of the Acropolis in the Age of Pericles<\/em> by the Foundation of the Hellenic World offers a glimpse into that era. It is a 3D reconstruction of all the buildings on the Sacred Rock, complete with their architectural and chromatic details \u2014 both those that survive and those that have been lost, masterpieces of classical architecture. The famous sculptures that adorned them are also presented in the colors of their time.<\/p>\n

And the images are truly spectacular\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/picture>Image source: yougoculture.com<\/p>\n

Vacation In Greece<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

Read Also:<\/p>\n

Acropolis: The oldest photograph was taken over 180 years ago<\/a><\/p>\n

Parthenon: Five truths that many do not know<\/a><\/p>\n

The secret church that the Acropolis hides at its feet<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow exploringgreece.tv on Facebook<\/strong><\/a> and Instagram<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Click on Exploringgreece.tv Google News<\/strong><\/a>, and press the \u201cFollow\u201d button to travel to Greece<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We may admire the pure white of ancient statues and sculptures today, yet it seems this was not the preferred look for the artists who created them. Modern scientific methods reveal that the colorful \u2014 often vividly multicolored \u2014 appearance of ancient statues was completely normal. In fact, white was not the goal at all.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":22418,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"subtitle":"","format":"standard","video":"","gallery":"","source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"0","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"0","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_comment_section":"1"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":"","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":""},"jnews_override_counter":{"override_view_counter":"0","view_counter_number":"0","override_share_counter":"0","share_counter_number":"0","override_like_counter":"0","like_counter_number":"0","override_dislike_counter":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"enable_post_split":"0","post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","first":"0","enable_toc":"0","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7888,3160,7689,3106],"tags":[3297,4166,7907,8962,3298],"class_list":["post-18128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ancient-interest","category-athens","category-old-athens","category-tourist-in-my-own-city","tag-acropolis-en","tag-ancient-athens","tag-ancient-history","tag-monuments","tag-parthenon"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nParthenon Colors Revealed Through Ancient Artifacts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Uncover the vivid Parthenon colors that once adorned ancient sculptures and architecture, revealing a vibrant history.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/exploringgreece.tv\/en\/travel-interests\/ancient-interest\/impressive-images-of-the-parthenon-when-it-was-colored\/18128\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Parthenon Painted Colors Reality | Exploring Greece TV\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover the vibrant colors that once adorned the Parthenon. 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