Unveiling the Original Polychromy of Archaic Architecture: The Gigantomachy on the West Pediment of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi (6th c. B.C.)
The Gigantomachy depicted on the west pediment of the Late Archaic temple of Apollo at Delphi marks a significant milestone in early Greek architectural sculpture. Crafted from porous stone and enhanced with plaster and paint, the surviving fragments differ markedly from the marble figures of the ea...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Giasemi G. Frantzi Georgios P. Mastrotheodoros Panayiotis Theoulakis Sotiria Kogou Athanasia Psalti Hariclia Brecoulaki |
| author_facet | Giasemi G. Frantzi Georgios P. Mastrotheodoros Panayiotis Theoulakis Sotiria Kogou Athanasia Psalti Hariclia Brecoulaki |
| author_sort | Giasemi G. Frantzi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Gigantomachy depicted on the west pediment of the Late Archaic temple of Apollo at Delphi marks a significant milestone in early Greek architectural sculpture. Crafted from porous stone and enhanced with plaster and paint, the surviving fragments differ markedly from the marble figures of the east pediment of the same temple. Among the preserved figures of the Gigantomachy are a standing male figure, possibly representing Apollo or Dionysos, a warrior female identified as Athena, and a recumbent male, likely symbolizing the Giant Enkelados. This study aims to investigate the polychromy of the west pediment through a thorough investigation of the remnants of the original decoration. The adopted methodology includes exclusively non-destructive techniques and advanced imaging methods, such as portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, visible-induced luminescence (VIL), and 3D microscope observation. Analytical results confirmed the presence of extensive traces of once-vibrant colors on the plaster’s surface, which were often invisible to the naked eye. Specifically, our data support the employment of pigments like Egyptian blue, cinnabar, ochre-based reds and yellows, as well as copper-based green. Notably, these pigments were applied over a white calcium-rich layer, which served as a primer for the porous stone. Ongoing research on the Gigantomachy promises to deepen our understanding of color usage and painting techniques in Archaic Greek art. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0ce89f9b19c0402fa8e4a7132c6fcb01 |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-0ce89f9b19c0402fa8e4a7132c6fcb012025-02-11T02:41:30ZengMDPI AGHeritage2571-94082025-01-01811710.3390/heritage8010017Unveiling the Original Polychromy of Archaic Architecture: The Gigantomachy on the West Pediment of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi (6th c. B.C.)Giasemi G. Frantzi0Georgios P. Mastrotheodoros1Panayiotis Theoulakis2Sotiria Kogou3Athanasia Psalti4Hariclia Brecoulaki5Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art, University of West Attica, Ag. Spyridonos Str., 12243 Egaleo, GreeceDepartment of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art, University of West Attica, Ag. Spyridonos Str., 12243 Egaleo, GreeceDepartment of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art, University of West Attica, Ag. Spyridonos Str., 12243 Egaleo, GreeceSchool of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UKEphorate of Antiquities of Fokis, 33054 Delphi, GreeceNational Hellenic Research Foundation of Greece, Institute for Historical Research, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Ave., 11635 Athens, GreeceThe Gigantomachy depicted on the west pediment of the Late Archaic temple of Apollo at Delphi marks a significant milestone in early Greek architectural sculpture. Crafted from porous stone and enhanced with plaster and paint, the surviving fragments differ markedly from the marble figures of the east pediment of the same temple. Among the preserved figures of the Gigantomachy are a standing male figure, possibly representing Apollo or Dionysos, a warrior female identified as Athena, and a recumbent male, likely symbolizing the Giant Enkelados. This study aims to investigate the polychromy of the west pediment through a thorough investigation of the remnants of the original decoration. The adopted methodology includes exclusively non-destructive techniques and advanced imaging methods, such as portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, visible-induced luminescence (VIL), and 3D microscope observation. Analytical results confirmed the presence of extensive traces of once-vibrant colors on the plaster’s surface, which were often invisible to the naked eye. Specifically, our data support the employment of pigments like Egyptian blue, cinnabar, ochre-based reds and yellows, as well as copper-based green. Notably, these pigments were applied over a white calcium-rich layer, which served as a primer for the porous stone. Ongoing research on the Gigantomachy promises to deepen our understanding of color usage and painting techniques in Archaic Greek art.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/8/1/17Archaic polychromynon-destructive analysisXRFVIL |
| spellingShingle | Giasemi G. Frantzi Georgios P. Mastrotheodoros Panayiotis Theoulakis Sotiria Kogou Athanasia Psalti Hariclia Brecoulaki Unveiling the Original Polychromy of Archaic Architecture: The Gigantomachy on the West Pediment of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi (6th c. B.C.) Heritage Archaic polychromy non-destructive analysis XRF VIL |
| title | Unveiling the Original Polychromy of Archaic Architecture: The Gigantomachy on the West Pediment of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi (6th c. B.C.) |
| title_full | Unveiling the Original Polychromy of Archaic Architecture: The Gigantomachy on the West Pediment of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi (6th c. B.C.) |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling the Original Polychromy of Archaic Architecture: The Gigantomachy on the West Pediment of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi (6th c. B.C.) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling the Original Polychromy of Archaic Architecture: The Gigantomachy on the West Pediment of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi (6th c. B.C.) |
| title_short | Unveiling the Original Polychromy of Archaic Architecture: The Gigantomachy on the West Pediment of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi (6th c. B.C.) |
| title_sort | unveiling the original polychromy of archaic architecture the gigantomachy on the west pediment of the temple of apollo at delphi 6th c b c |
| topic | Archaic polychromy non-destructive analysis XRF VIL |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/8/1/17 |
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