In recent years, a movement among classical archaeologists has sought to restore ancient marble sculptures to their original, vividly painted states using advanced chemical tracing. Art historian Aris Thorne criticizes this trend. Thorne concedes that these statues were originally painted, but he argues that their subsequent stripping by time and the elements has bestowed upon them a 'temporal dignity' that the original sculptors could not have foreseen. For Thorne, the stark, unpainted marble that audiences have interacted with for centuries represents a profound collaboration between human intent and the passage of history. To repaint them, he asserts, is to erase centuries of historical memory and reduce the artwork to a mere snapshot of its creation, stripping it of the rich identity it has acquired through its enduring survival.
Based on the principles outlined in the passage, which one of the following approaches to a 16th-century tapestry that has lost much of its original coloring over the centuries would Thorne be most likely to endorse?
- AApplying chemical treatments to identify and recreate the vivid original dyes intended by the 16th-century weaver
- BRestoring the original colors on the grounds that the true aesthetic value of an artwork is found solely in its creator's intent
- CRejecting all preservation efforts and allowing the tapestry to naturally disintegrate as a testament to the elements
- Implementing preservation techniques to stabilize the fabric against further decay while preserving its current faded appearanceAnswer
- EFunding a project to construct a brightly colored modern replica of the tapestry to be exhibited in a different museum