Ombres et Lumières. La sculpture hellénistique polychrome et dorée de Délos : bilan méthodologique et historique

Résumé En

About ten years of an interdiciplinary research on the polychromy of the Hellenistic sculpture in Delos led to a broader understanding of its success, richness and subtleness during the Hellenistic Period. It also gives our methodology for evidencing, analyzing and interpretating polychrome or gold remains on marble the opportunity to be evaluated. Videomicroscopy and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry had proved their efficiency. By combining them, we better know the colour palette used by painters in Delos. A systematic microstratigraphic close examination of layers and underlayers evidenced both antique painting and gilding processes on marble and stone. The high definition observation of coloured remains revealed in some cases the presence of real pictorial techniques, such as light and shadow effects, which were much more present and central than one would expected. Such virtuosity leads to new questions like the contexts in which these hight quality polychrome and or gilded statues were exhibited. However, despite these progresses, many questions remain today in the shadow. We list them below, hoping that the progress of such researches in the future will elucidate them.