Colored marble used as covering

[guy]

(Thank you Professor Nina Willburger @DrNWillburger for bring this article to our attention)

Most of us assume that the white marble in ancient Rome was painted to give the city its vibrant colors. I hadn’t thought about the use of colored marble, also:

 

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When it comes to ancient Roman imperial architecture, most people usually have a mental image of white marble statues, columns, or slabs.

While it is true that many buildings and squares at that time were decorated with marble, it was frequently not white but colored marble that was employed, such as the green-veined Cipollino Verde, which was extracted on the Greek island of Euboea.

 

 

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/05/analysis-of-wall-decoration-dating-to-the-second-century-a-d-provides-new-insights-into-marble-extraction-and-processing/139172?fbclid=IwAR0Rg8oAX9TJwZGR4oEBK2-eUYajwweZSpryfEq03kf84VEMKEna0GBd_j4&amp=1

 

Summary: I hadn’t considered the use of marble as mere decoration (cladding) and not for structural support. Here are examples of Cipollino marble  extracted from the Greek island of Euboea:

Edited October 11, 2021 by guy

[guy]

A nice article about the use of Cipollino mable in Roman Carthage. These articles have certainly changed my image of ancient Rome:

https://www.cipollino.org/carthage

Other examples of Cipollino marble:

 

Other modern uses of colored marble:

Edited May 16, 2021 by guy