Uncover the forgotten fragrance of ancient Greek and Roman statues, where vibrant colors were only half the story.
The Scent of Ancient Greco-Roman Sculpture
Ancient Greek and Roman statues often smelled like roses, a new study says. For years, museum visitors have been able to see how these statues would have appeared when they were created – painted in vibrant colors. But now, researchers say there’s another aspect to consider: how they smelled.
Greek and Roman statues are renowned for their exquisite craftsmanship and artistic expression.
Dating back to ancient times, these masterpieces were often commissioned by wealthy patrons or created as offerings to deities.
Characterized by their realistic proportions and detailed features, these statues showcased the technical skill of ancient sculptors.
Notable examples include the Venus de Milo from Greece and the Augustus of Prima Porta from Rome, which exemplify the artistic achievements of their respective civilizations.
The Use of Scents in Ancient Art
Cecilie Brøns, a senior researcher and curator of the Glyptoteket museum’s collection of ancient Greek and Roman art in Copenhagen, Denmark, says that ancient texts provide evidence that statues were often scented with perfumes, oils, and waxes. Her study, “The Scent of Ancient Greco-Roman Sculpture” , was published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology this month.
A Sensorial Experience
Brøns writes that such scents could function as a way of creating a sensorial experience and even facilitating interaction between the image and the observer, without the use of touch. This means that the smell of the statues would have been an integral part of the overall experience of viewing them.
The Most Widely Used Type of Perfume
A variety of flowers and herbs were used to make perfumes, but evidence points to rose perfume being the most widely used type. Brøns says that some records of this scenting come from ancient bookkeeping, including inventories from temples on the Greek island of Delos.
Rose perfume has been a staple in perfumery for centuries, prized for its distinctive and intoxicating scent.
The fragrance is extracted from the petals of roses, typically through steam distillation or solvent extraction.
Rose perfume is often associated with luxury and elegance, making it a popular choice for special occasions.
In fact, rose oil is one of the most expensive essential oils due to the time-consuming process of harvesting and extracting it.
Evidence in Ancient Texts
Brøns also referenced numerous ancient writers as evidence of the practice. For example, the Greek physician Dioscorides provided a recipe for myron rhodinon, which translates to “perfume made from roses”. Pausanias, a Greek geographer, writes that a statue of Zeus at Olympia was treated with olive oil.
Physical Evidence
Physical evidence of scents on statues is hard to come by, as the oils and waxes degrade over time. One exception is a statue of the Ptolemaic Queen Berenice II from the third century B.C. Brøns says that previous research did not detect a scent, but did detect evidence of beeswax spread on the statue.
Religious Reasons
The motivation for scenting and adorning statues was primarily religious. “It was primarily a ritual act, as a sort of veneration for the cult images,” says Brøns. Some non-religious statues may have been scented as well.
Bringing Life to Sculptures
Sculptures were usually painted, and often were decorated with jewelry and flower wreaths. The aim of this was to make them seem ‘alive’ (expressed by the Greek term mimesis). Oils and waxes were also used to protect and preserve the statues and their paint.
Beyond Art History
Verity Platt, a professor at Cornell University’s Department of Classics who specializes in Greek and Roman art history, says that scenting and adorning with flowers were also parts of Greek social life. For example, Greek men would scent their bodies before they gathered to drink at the symposium, a social gathering where they participate in rituals related to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and theater.
A Multi-Sensory Experience
Platt says that among experts in classical studies, the idea that statues were scented is already well-established. But given the attention the study has received, it’s clear many people hadn’t heard about the practice before. “Clearly it strikes a chord,” she said, noting it follows recent interest in the notion that statues were painted in bright colors.
