I colori delle cose. La policromia degli elementi non figurati nella scultura romana

This paper investigates the polychromy of the non-figurai elements of Roman marble sculpture, such as the struts of freestanding statues and the background of stone reliefs. This paper argues that the choices in matter of shape and color for these elements are key to understanding the artwork as a whole. Rather than concealing the supports of a statue, color may differentiate and highlight the individuai parts of a composition. In the case of reliefs, the color on the background may mirror the taste of different periods and perhaps characterize the scene depicted.