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I Colorize 19th Century Statues To Make Them Come To Life
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I Colorize 19th Century Statues To Make Them Come To Life

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I’ve been recoloring old photographs for a while now (here and here) but recently I decided to try my hand at coloring statues. The original images of the statues were shot at Ballarat Botanical Gardens in Victoria a couple of years ago. All but one are a part of the same series of statues by Charles Summer, purchased with bequest funds from James Russell Thompson in 1888. The odd one out is Hebe, which is part of the Stoddard Collection.

Whilst the statues have retained their original names in the series, I’ve deliberately chosen not to place them in the context of the historical characters the statues represented, but to see them simply as beautiful women and to imagine who they might have originally been based on.

I originally designed the pieces as still images, but I enjoy the irony of turning them into cinemagraphs. The effects I’ve chosen are subtle but I think that suits the images.

More info: janelong.com.au | Facebook | Instagram

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    Jane Long

    Jane Long

    Author, Community member

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    I'm an Australian photographer and digitial artist.

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    Jane Long

    Jane Long

    Author, Community member

    I'm an Australian photographer and digitial artist.

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    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is interesting. There is good evidence that the ancient Greeks actually painted their statues (the ones that are all white marble now), as art historians have detected microscopic paint chips of numerous colors embedded in their surfaces. So this is right in line with "classical" practices.

    Full Name
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They have figured out with a certain degree if certainty what the Mona Lisa looked like back when it was new. I guarantee you Leo would absolutely cringe if he saw what we worship now. He' be all "No, you guys have no idea. It was so much better before!"

    Load More Replies...
    Anna Sheridan
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Old statues always make me feel better about my body as they are quite curvy really and this highlights that.

    Doron Pinkas
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't think any of the statues is curvy. They're just normal girls, built like me. I don't know, skinny girls get celebrated, and ''curvy'' girls get celebrated- but girls who are neither.... what are we even? I often feel not skinny enough, but not plus size- in this new sorta dead zone in fashion

    Load More Replies...
    Jason O'R
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So creative, the atmosphere around the statues are what makes it so beautiful. I love it.

    Load More Comments
    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is interesting. There is good evidence that the ancient Greeks actually painted their statues (the ones that are all white marble now), as art historians have detected microscopic paint chips of numerous colors embedded in their surfaces. So this is right in line with "classical" practices.

    Full Name
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They have figured out with a certain degree if certainty what the Mona Lisa looked like back when it was new. I guarantee you Leo would absolutely cringe if he saw what we worship now. He' be all "No, you guys have no idea. It was so much better before!"

    Load More Replies...
    Anna Sheridan
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Old statues always make me feel better about my body as they are quite curvy really and this highlights that.

    Doron Pinkas
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't think any of the statues is curvy. They're just normal girls, built like me. I don't know, skinny girls get celebrated, and ''curvy'' girls get celebrated- but girls who are neither.... what are we even? I often feel not skinny enough, but not plus size- in this new sorta dead zone in fashion

    Load More Replies...
    Jason O'R
    Community Member
    7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So creative, the atmosphere around the statues are what makes it so beautiful. I love it.

    Load More Comments
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