International Round Table on Polychromy in Ancient Sculpture and Architecture

Lecture: "Le voyage des «Tanagras» : sur les pas des «Dames en bleu»" -Louvre Auditorium Michel Laclotte, Paris.

21st January 21, 2026 - 12.30 pm (EST)

Violaine Jeammet, Louvre Museum, and Brigitte Bourgeois, C2RMF

The acquisition of a painted and gilded terracotta figurine, an apparent twin of the "Lady in Blue" in the museum's collection for 150 years, provides an opportunity to revisit this group, a jewel in the crown of the Louvre's Tanagra collection. While Tanagra figurines spread throughout the Mediterranean Basin between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, their study at the C2RMF (Centre de Recherches et de Restauration des Musées Français) and the restoration of the second "Lady in Blue" also confirm the transfer of practices and techniques.

History repeats itself: after their discovery at the Tanagra site from 1870 onwards, the Tanagras became a source of inspiration for many artists, such as Jean-Léon Gérôme, Bourdelle or Picasso.

A masterpiece from the Louvre Museum's collections, displayed on the auditorium stage, is examined up close for an hour using advanced audiovisual technology.

More information here.

The event will be recorded and available on YouTube.

College Art Association of America (CAA) 114TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE, Chicago, Illinois.

18th–21st February , 2026

The CAA Annual Conference is the largest convening of art historians, artists, designers, curators, and visual arts professionals. Each year sessions submitted by our members, committees, and affiliated societies deliver a wide range of program content. The CAA 114th Annual Conference will take place at the Hilton Chicago, February 18–21, 2026. The conference will be held in person with a selection of hybrid sessions and events. Some sessions of possible interest:

Session: Art and Labor in the Ancient Mediterranean World (CAA 114th Annual Conference)

Session: Materiality and the Reception of Ancient Objects (CAA 114th Annual Conference)

Session: Ready for Her Closeup: Producing the Public Image of Ancient Roman Women (CAA 114th Annual Conference)

More information here.

"Shades Of Red: From Characterization to Provenance Studies and Conservation of Red Pigments in Ancient Polychromy" - 32nd EAA Annual Meeting Athens, Greece. Session #240.

26-29th August, 2026

Organisers:
Alessia Coccato (University of Oxford)
Hilary Becker (Binghamton University, SUNY)
Simone Dilaria (University of Padua)

Since prehistory, red colour has long served as a fundamental chromatic component in ancient polychromy, widely employed not only in wall paintings but also in the decoration of statues, reliefs, and a broad range of artefacts. The sources of red pigments were multiple, encompassing naturally occurring iron-rich earths, mineral ores such as cinnabar and arsenates, and artificial lead-based compounds including red lead and massicot. Each of these materials imparted distinct optical, textural, and durability characteristics to the resulting surface layers—qualities that were well understood in antiquity. Historical sources (such as Pliny the Elder, Dioscorides, Theophrastus, Vitruvius, etc) provide information on both the economic and symbolic values of ancient red pigments, and provide technical details on their extraction, preparation and application. This session seeks to investigate the multifaceted use of red pigments across diverse contexts, from their adoption in wall-paintings and mortar stratigraphies to their use in the applied polychromy of statuary, architecture and other organic or inorganic artefacts. Particular attention will be devoted to studies of pigment characterization, the provenance of raw materials from mineral deposits or trade networks, technological and applicative aspects, and the long-term stability and conservation behaviour of red pigments on different supports and within varying depositional environments.

More information on the session can be found here.

Submission deadline: 5th February , 2026.

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