Today, we know that Ancient sculpture was not purely white. However, at the time of this English Neoclassical vase’s production, the polychromy of Antiquity was a recent discovery. Early excavations of pigment-less sculptures had led Renaissance artists to create their own white marble works, ensuring an aesthetic canon. The myth of the purely white Ancient world was propagated by German archaeologist and art historian Johann Winckelmann (1717-1768), who, after spending time in Italy and observing the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum, produced many writings praising the beauty of the unearthed marble sculptures. Despite observing traces of pigment which remained on the marble, Winckelmann wrote of their whiteness being the epitome of beauty. He even (erroneously) asserted that polychromism occurred strictly in non-Western cultures – a very elitist, Euro-centric view. Winckelmann’s writings became the cornerstone of Western art history, and his ideas that a white Antiquity was the height of beauty have influenced Western fine and decorative arts ever since.

Throughout the 19th century, though, more and more excavations occurred that revealed multi-colored fragments of statues, and a polychromatic Ancient world could no longer be ignored. A particularly impactful discovery was a group of polychromed funerary statues at Tanagra in 1870, which were displayed at the 1878 Parisian Exposition Universelle. While white marble remained the norm, some artists and designers responded enthusiastically to the idea of a colorful Ancient world. English potters drew heavily upon ancient statuary as well as designs on ancient vessels for replication on tableware, vases, tiles, and other household goods for the middle and upper classes. These designs were polychromatic in that they were usually black and orange/red, as modeled after Attic pottery. Staffordshire firm Pratt & Co. took such designs and produced them both with white figures and polychromed figures, as seen in this vase. Covered in a vibrant celadon green glaze with a brightly colored transferware pattern of Greek archers and charioteers, this vase is a celebration of the polychromy of Antiquity.

BT

Excellent.

For a detailed condition report, please contact us.

The Collection of Barry R. Harwood and Joseph V. Garry