Nudity, elaborate hairstyles and pink garments… This Copenhagen museum is putting on the world’s first extensive exhibition tackling fashion in ancient Rome.

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, one of the world’s leading institutions for polychromy research, is putting on its largest exhibition yet. Commencing 1 October, the museum is lifting the veil on more than a decade’s research uncovering ancient colour palettes and power.

The Power of Fashion in the Roman Empire will display Glyptoteket’s vast collection of ancient sculptures in a new light, granting evidence to the role that clothes, colour schemes, hairstyles, jewellery and makeup held as symbols of power in antiquity.

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek: An oasis for art, architecture and human history

According to senior researcher and curator of the exhibition, Cecilie Brøns, “textiles and clothing represented an enormous value in ancient Rome, completely opposite to the affordability of fast fashion today.” Contrary to popular belief, “a large variation of colours and pigments were used,” says Brøns – whose latest research indicates pink to be one of the main stars of the show.

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek: An oasis for art, architecture and human history

By showcasing the vast differences in colour schemes and hairstyles, the exhibition invites visitors to explore power and masculinity through a contemporary lens. Perfume stations co-developed with the Danish skin care brand Karameju will reveal the highly sought after scents of the elite. And via soundscapes, visitors can ingest gossip celebrating or ridiculing fashion choices at the time.

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek: An oasis for art, architecture and human history

A haven for art and history, Glyptoteket houses some 10,000 pieces spanning 6,000 years of human history. Visitors can enjoy permanent installations that include Egyptian mummies, Palmyrene funeral portraits (the largest collection outside of Syria), Greek and Roman sculpture, some of Paul Gauguin’s finest works, and 150 years of Danish and French art. In addition, the museum’s impressive architecture invites visitors to take in the Copenhagen skyline from the roof, gear down under the Winter Garden’s Victorian dome, or enjoy classical concerts in the Roman-inspired Central Hall.

From January 2028, the museum will undergo a renovation to “preserve the buildings and make better conditions for visitors and the art pieces,” says press and communications officer, Christine Løkkebø. On the other side, the museum will reopen as a future-proof and strengthened version of Jacobsen’s vision to create “an oasis and temple of beauty for all citizens.”

Depicting Emperor Tiberius in a light pink cloak from the imperial dye palette was “a legitimisation of his power and status, especially in a society where far from everyone could read or write,” says Cecilie Brøns, senior researcher, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Photo: Glyptoteket | Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek: An oasis for art, architecture and human history

Depicting Emperor Tiberius in a light pink cloak from the imperial dye palette was “a legitimisation of his power and status, especially in a society where far from everyone could read or write,” says Cecilie Brøns, senior researcher, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Photo: Glyptoteket

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About the museum:

Created from the private collection of brewer Carl Jacobsen, and open to the public since 1897. Today, Glyptoteket is also a research institution.
The museum buildings represent nearly 200 years of Danish architecture.

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