Art historians have known for a long time that Roman statues were painted, but since only traces of pigment have ever been found, no one has ever known what they looked like. Archaeologists just found a painted bust in the ruins of Herculaneum, which was coated in lava when nearby Pompeii was engulfed in ashes. Curtsy: Zadok.
. . .[O]nly faint traces of pigment had been found before now. It had also been assumed that classical statues were painted brightly. In fact, the colouring on the head is a delicate shade of orange-red, which, although faded, indicates that classical colouring was subtle and sophisticated, Jane Thompson, the project manager, said.
