The white marble Romans of museum galleries were never meant to be white. A new exhibition at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen sets out to put the colour, and even the smell, back into the ancient world, Smithsonian Magazine reports.
“The Power of Fashion in the Roman Empire” brings together 171 objects, making it the largest special exhibition on antiquity the museum has staged. Among them is a first-century statue of the emperor Tiberius whose toga was originally painted a vivid pink, a figure of Septimius Severus in lionskin boots on loan from Turkey’s Burdur Archaeological Museum, and three rare tunics from the British Museum that have never been lent before.
Visitors can also use their noses and ears. Four scent stations recreate Roman perfumes, and twelve listening posts carry the words of ancient writers on clothes and status. Curator Cecilie Brøns says dress worked as “a clear visual statement of power, luxury and divine authority”. The show runs until 29 March 2027.
Source: Smithsonian Magazine