Colored marble used as covering

[guy]

(Thank you Professor Nina Willburger @DrNWillburger for bringing this article to our attention.)

Most of us assume that the white marble in ancient Rome was painted to give the city its vibrant colors. I hadn’t considered the use of colored marble, either:

 

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When it comes to ancient Roman imperial architecture, most people usually have a mental image of white marble statues, columns, or slabs.

While it is true that many buildings and squares at that time were decorated with marble, it was frequently not white but colored marble that was employed, such as the green-veined Cipollino Verde, which was extracted on the Greek island of Euboea.

 

 

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/05/analysis-of-wall-decoration-dating-to-the-second-century-a-d-provides-new-insights-into-marble-extraction-and-processing/139172?fbclid=IwAR0Rg8oAX9TJwZGR4oEBK2-eUYajwweZSpryfEq03kf84VEMKEna0GBd_j4&amp=1

 

Summary: I hadn’t considered using marble solely as decorative cladding rather than for structural support. Here are examples of Cipollino marble quarried on the Greek island of Euboea:

Edited February 1 by guy

[guy]

Here is an example of the use of Cipollino marble in Roman Carthage. This has changed my image of ancient Rome.

 

Other examples of Cipollino marble:

 

Other modern uses of colored marble:

Edited February 1 by guy