Patrimoniochromies : The place and role of colors in heritage development processes over time

Patrimoniochromies (”Heritage-chromies”) aims at investigating the place and the role of colours in cultural Heritage dynamics processes over a long time and in multiple geocultural areas. Indeed, the chromatic appearance of the artifacts from the past may have been the object of multiple transformations over time. It can concern processes linked to the loss or alteration of their colours due to poor preservation conditions. It can concern also the wilful chromatic evolutions linked to the successive reappropriations to which they may have been subjected — fading or, conversely, colorization of an originally non-polychrome work, the apposition of new or more vivid colours, « restoration », etc. Thirdly, it can concern the evolving cultural gaze on an artifact or on a collection, in relationship with colours and the importance they play.

Here we want to study the chronologically and culturally evolving chromatic appearances of cultural artifacts in connection with Heritage dynamics processes. How significant are colours in the way we look at artifacts from the past ? Heritage plays a role in the way human societies see their past histories, but it may be important too on a cultural, economical, political level to define themselves in their present. We want to take into consideration the numerous ways in which colour may influence these processes and the very defining of Heritage artifacts.

This means to study also the role of colour in the multiple ways artifacts and whole heritage collections are reproduced and/ or represented thanks to other media. There are indeed numerous ways someone may get in touch with them, apart from seeing them in situ. All kinds of « representations » of these works from the past are concerned. We mean 2D representations (drawings in various techniques, prints, photographs, etc.) as well as 3D representations (casts, anastyloses, digital models, etc.), from the copy of identical dimensions and made with the same materials, to the imaginary restitution of a staged past (e.g. in museums, books, movies etc.).

Four interconnected approaches will then be investigated in relationship with single artifacts or collections of artifacts :

-the role of colours in the very definition of Heritage and the connection of Heritage artifacts’ colours with cultural identities or feelings of alterity ;

-the evolution of artifacts’ colours and its impact on the Heritage dynamics strategies but also on the writing of History ;

-the role of colours in the staging of Heritage artifacts ;

-the reproduction of polychrome Heritage artifacts and the transformation (transcription, translation, betrayal (?)) it implies for their colours.

Project managers

Philippe JOCKEY , Université Paris Nanterre - UMR 7051 ArScAn 

Romain THOMAS , Université Paris Nanterre - EA 4414 HAR

Internal cluster partners

• Archéologies et Sciences de l'Antiquité (ArScAn) - UMR 7041
• Histoire des Arts et des Représentations (HAR) - EA 4414

Duration

Keywords

patrimoine, couleur, Nation, numérique, 3D