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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

Hebe

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

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

Susannah

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

Ruth

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

Rebekah

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

Modesty

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

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

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Jane Long

I'm an Australian photographer and digitial artist.

I'm an Australian photographer and digitial artist.

What do you think ?

Lyone Fein 7 years ago

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.

34points

Full Name 7 years ago

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!"

11points

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logical fallacy 7 years ago

Indeed, it's confirmed. If you look closely at an ancient Greek statue, you can see paint residue, sometimes very vivid. And archeologists have found stations were paints were created, and even basic manuals for paint preparation.

5points

Wombat34 7 years ago

yes and the re-creations always look so lame. These look much more plausible.

0points

Anna Sheridan 7 years ago

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

11points

Doron Pinkas 7 years ago

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

3points

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Jason O'R 7 years ago

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

10points

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Lyone Fein 7 years ago

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.

34points

Full Name 7 years ago

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!"

11points

Load More Replies...

logical fallacy 7 years ago

Indeed, it's confirmed. If you look closely at an ancient Greek statue, you can see paint residue, sometimes very vivid. And archeologists have found stations were paints were created, and even basic manuals for paint preparation.

5points

Wombat34 7 years ago

yes and the re-creations always look so lame. These look much more plausible.

0points

Anna Sheridan 7 years ago

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

11points

Doron Pinkas 7 years ago

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

3points

Load More Replies...

Jason O'R 7 years ago

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

10points

Load More Comments

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