Travel to Greece and Polychromy in the 19th Century: Mutations of Ideals of Beauty and Greek Antiquities

The article examines the collaborations between pensionnaires of Villa Medici in Rome and members French School Athens, shedding light on complex relationships architecture, art, archeology. second half 19th century was a period during which exchanges archaeologists, artists, architects acquired reinvented role dominant place. Within such context, Athens place par excellence, where encounter these three disciplines took main objective is to render explicit how revelations archeology, actively disseminated by Athens—the “Athéniens”—had an important impact approach certain Rome. Particular emphasis placed pensionnaires, who decided devote their envois ancient monuments Greece. In parallel, intends shed methods that helped pensionnaires-architects appropriate archaeological discoveries concerning Greek antiquities. takes, as starting point, following hypothesis: better understand figure architect-archaeologist, whom Jacques Ignace Hittorff emblematic example, it pivotal bear mind before neither Hellenic archeology nor architect had yet autonomy. Taking into account Johann Joachim Winckelmann, middle 18th century, forged ideal model, criticized also sheds fact archaeologists have called question Winckelmannian image Another aspect explored Hittorff’s studies polychromy monuments, paying special attention his Restitution du temple d’Empédocle à Sélinonte ou l’Architecture polychrome chez les Grecs. explores shifts status philhellenism are related mutations meaning travel investigates independence ideals beauty nature arts, well intensification interest excavations