Winter Master Class: Antichi Colori: Getting to the Sources of Ancient Dyes and Pigments

The Ancient Mediterranean and global world was filled with ancient color. Ancient peoples were sophisticated in their technological resources; creating colors through multiple means. Recently the subject of whiteness in ancient marble sculpture and decoration has generated opinions, perspectives and even reconstructed models. The subject of color was documented heavily through literature, historical sources, painting, sculpture, and decorative arts, as a relatively static presence. But it is the dyes and pigments that command the most amount of attention. Evidence suggests that the manufacture application, attitudes towards and the color-terms were of prime concern to the ancients and contributed to their overall economic prosperity. Ancient color can be challenging for us to understand because of the temporal distance between our world and that of antiquity. Ancient dyes and pigments help to bridge the gap as solid tools for showing accurate tools from the ancient world. There has been long-standing research on the study of purple, in particular, but greater examination has been devoted to other natural and the creation of synthetic dyes. As a group we will consider the many different opinions and usages of ancient dyes and pigments from text and archeological evidence from the 1st century through the 3rd century. We will consider all the different types of items that were colors from clothing to wax tablets (or ancient paper!), types of dyes, chariot teams, food, makeup, medicine, what people looked like, natural historical items and even the velarium (the canopy over the amphitheater).

You must RSVP to receive the Zoom link. The class will be recorded, but the recording will only be shared with those that RSVP.