A Digital Reconstruction of Roman Terracotta Reliefs : Recreating the Ancient Technique

Abstract

The main purpose of thisarticleis to presentalternative methods of digital reconstruction of the polychromy of Ancient sculpture, based upon practical experience with materials and series of experiments designed to determine physical properties of paints, grounds and binders. It focuses mainly on the Roman art of the Imperial Period and compares different properties of marble and terracotta sculpture and different applications of the same painting techniques. The reconstructions of Roman terracotta reliefs presented below were based upon analyses of objects from the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw and their existing analogies.