The woman depicted in this portrait is supposed to be a typical native of classical Greece, in the period between the 5th and 4th centuries BC. The bright colors on her dress are more than a creative liberty I took, as we know from archaeological evidence that ancient Greeks actually did dye their clothing with bright colors and elaborate patterns as far back in time as the Mycenaean period (1600-1100 BC). Even their statues would have been brightly colored in life as well, before the weather washed the paint away over the centuries.