Parthenon proven to have been painted

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It has long been assumed that the sculptures were left unpainted, however, using visible-induced luminescence imaging, the researchers have been able to identify microscopic traces of an Egyptian blue pigment on the sculpture’s garments. Egyptian blue is a man-made pigment composed of calcium, copper and silicon, that was commonly used in Ancient Greece and Roman, and even as far back as 3,000 BC in Egypt.
 

According to a study, published in the journal Antiquity: “Small traces of white and purple were also detected on the sculptures. True purple pigment was very valuable in the ancient Mediterranean; it was produced from shellfish, but the Parthenon purple apparently was not. The exact nature of the purple remains unclear, but classical texts refer to recipes to make non-shellfish purple.”

 

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/10/new-study-identifies-traces-of-paint-used-to-decorate-the-parthenon-sculptures/148836

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/style/greek-parthenon-sculptures-painted-egyptian-blue-scn/index.html

Here is another article on the painting of the Parthenon:

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Using luminescent imaging, archaeologists were able to find hidden chemical elements from traces of paint on the sculptures’ surfaces. The team found evidence of hidden patterns, such as floral designs and figurative depictions, that were created using a mix of four pigments.

The blue was made by the Egyptians and used often by ancient Greeks and Romans, the purple tint was produced using previously unknown ingredients, and the two whites were crafted from the mineral gypsum and a bone white pigment made from bone ash.

 

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/parthenon-marbles-paint-hidden-colors-study-1234682322/

Here’s the academic article on the research:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/goddess-new-clothes-the-carving-and-polychromy-of-the-parthenon-sculptures/9D7277925E339AC98642081CBAAD8794