Roman Wall Painting

Pompeii Pompeii was not an artistic centre but a small seaside resort. There may have been regional differences and differences in personal taste in the art work found there. Paintings there are dated from 200BC to 79 AD

Pompeian Paintings Quality of paintings depended on the skill of the artist and the cost of the work Paint was applied to wet plaster Alabaster dust was superior to plain white paint as a surface

Paint The paint quality varied Cinnabar from Spain was more expensive than local earth pigments such as red ochre

Expensive Pigments Cinnabar – deep red Gold leaf

Basic Pigments Red-red ochre or haematite Black – soot White – chalk Yellow – yellow ochre Green – terre verte (different minerals) Blue – copper calcium silicate

Painting Walls were painted while still wet and could not be moved The last layer of plaster was applied to the section of wall that could be finished Walls were therefore divided into sections; giornata di lavoro

Walls were often divided into three sections horizontally - dado, middle, upper Paintings were rarely finished in one go The picture was ‘etched’ onto the wet plaster and essentially ‘coloured in’ Sometimes different artists were employed to complete different sections

Sometimes important sections were done in the artists studio and inserted into the finished space on completion

Plastering Wall had to be rough enough to hold the plaster Plaster was made from lime (calcium hydroxide) and water. Sometimes grit was added to aid the drying process For top coats the ‘grit’ was often marble dust

Wealthy patrons could afford up to 6 layers of plaster applied

Tradesmen’s Tools Applied with a trulla – a trowel Smoothed with liaculum – float Sometimes applied with thick bristles

The Four Pompeian Styles The First Style Dating from first century BC Also called masonry style Copied from Hellenistic styles Plaster was applied to resemble cut stone blocks Often painted to resemble different types of stone such as marble or alabaster

The Second Style 80BC Light source incorporated into the painting to make columns appear real and includes shadows Gives a three dimensional quality House of the Gryphon in Rome Note three sections

The Second style developed into ‘wide open’ scenes where myths and real people could be seen The Villa of the Mysteries shows two contrasting panes – the flat wall and the figures The room is ‘opened up’

The Third Style Return to a ‘flat’ wall Monochromatic colours – black white red Three levels of wall Overlaid with fantastical ornamental detail Columns are now thin and spindly and often replaced with candelabra Small scenes‘sacro-idyllic’ scenes were popular This style was fashionable for decades

The Fourth Style Eclectic Combines illusion of the Second Style with the delicate architecture of the Third Many houses were redecorated in the Fourth Style after the earthquake of AD62 and continued in popularity after Vesuvius

It also consisted of a central panel with a glimpse of outdoors through a narrow opening A second panel resembling a tapestry Borders of a ‘fabric’ style Top panel architectural vignettes Bottom section ‘dado’ is plain Elaborate decoration is essential to the Fourth Style

Miniature animals and mythological people appeared Floral garlands were also popular Influenced by Fabullus who painted Nero’s Domus Aurea

Bibliography Campbell, Jonathan. Roman art and Architecture, Longman, Auckland, 2002.