The International Round Table on Polychromy in Ancient Sculpture and Architecture or the “Polychromy Round Table” is a series of meetings dedicated to the study of the polychromy of ancient sculpture and architecture.
The subject of colour in the ancient world has long fascinated scholars. Within the realm of Classical art, historians stretching back to the late eighteenth century have periodically addressed the topic that sculpture and architectural elements from the Greco-Roman world, and beyond, were originally highly coloured.
Recently, interest in this field has once more been reinvigorated by the advent of new scientific techniques and methodologies, as well as by a community of diverse and interdisciplinary scholars, dedicated to the study of the polychromy of ancient sculpture and architecture.
Since 2009, this growing network of scholars has met on a series of occasions(see Past Meetings), first held annually and, since 2016, biennially.
The meetings have a strong tradition of providing an excellent opportunity for experts from a wide range of fields (archaeologists, architectural historians, scientists, conservators, museum and digital humanities professionals) to discuss new research in a stimulating multidisciplinary setting. Papers from a variety of perspectives are encouraged and cover many aspects of polychromy in ancient sculpture and architecture.
The first meeting of the Polychromy Round Table, held at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen in 2009, was made up of only 11 participants. By comparison, 2020's virtual meeting had more than 360 registrants.
Image © Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
This website collects the experience of these productive and rich encounters at the Polychromy Round Table, in the form of past programmes, abstracts and published proceedings. It also aims to provide a focal point for this network and research community to share news on its investigations, publications and events.
In the inclusive spirit of the Polychromy Round Table and its network, this site also aims to reach out to other researchers who may be considering the subject of ancient polychromy from the Greco-Roman world or relevant comparative studies from their own interdisciplinary viewpoints, geographical areas and time periods.
For further information or to sign up to the mailing list, please email: polychromyroundtable@gmail.com
Join the Polychromy Round Table LinkedIn Group here
Latest information on the next Polychromy Round Table meeting
The 13th International Round Table on Polychromy in Ancient Sculpture and Architecture on
"Polychromy and the Senses: Integrating Scientific, Cognitive, and Aesthetic Perspectives on Ancient Colour"
will be organised in collaboration with the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, where it will take place from
November 18–21, 2026.
For more information, see - Next Meeting.
Latest Publications
"Integrated Imaging and Spectroscopic Analysis of Residual Polychromy on the Roman Sculptures of the National Archaeological Museum of Formia (LT), Italy"
Donata Magrini, Giovanni Bartolozzi,Roberta Iannaccone, Sara Lenzi, Elisabetta Neri, Stefano Legnaioli, Giulia Lorenzetti, and Paolo Liverani
Applied Sciences, 2026, 16(15), 7399.
Read more here: https://doi.org/10.3390/app16157399
Published online - 23/07/2026.
"Colour Concept “Secoli bui” a colori: Codici cromatici e architetture dipinte nell’età tardoantica e medievale"
Edited by Elisabetta Neri, Paolo Liverani, Fulvio Cervini
Published by Archaeopress
This volume examines the role of colour in Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages, exploring its use in art and architecture through archaeological, art historical and scientific research. It highlights how colour was produced, perceived and experienced, and its importance in shaping later visual and cultural traditions.
Although colour was considered to be essentially for the perception of objects in ancient thought, its importance in archaeological and art-historical studies was underestimated until the 20th century
Recent scientific innovations in cultural heritage diagnostics have enabled a qualitative and quantitative increase in colour studies for the Classical and late medieval periods. Less well explored remains the transitional period of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, crucial for the development of the cultural history of colour in subsequent eras.
Divided into two parts, firstly the book aims to explore the chromatic profile of various media in Late Antique visual culture, attempting to grasp the possible development of a distinct chromatic culture. The second part addresses issues related to colour in architecture, considering the evolution of chromatic space and its perception through a series of excavation, restoration, and research projects that reveal and interpret it.
Link to publishers page.
Download to PDF eBook available here.
Published - 01/09/2026
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