Roman Frescoes

Imagine you’re living in ancient Pompeii when all of a sudden, the ground begins to rumble, and the sky turns black. Mount Vesuvius is erupting! After thousands of people died, and their homes and paintings were destroyed, there was one remaining form of art that survived, the Roman Fresco. The key to it’s survival is that the art is in the walls! When people discovered that the Frescoes were unharmed, they were shocked! The frescoes were painted as soon as the walls were created and the plaster was put on. As the plaster began to harden and dry, they painted the design on the wall. The paint mixed with the plaster, and as long as the wall was up, the art was there.

The first known form of fresco design was the Egyptian tombs and walls, hieroglyphics. They depicted animals, royalty, slaves, buildings and much more. The Frescoes evolved from the Egyptian’s tombs to the homes of the wealthy Roman families. They started off showing history or maps, but the Romans viewed Frescoes as art, so they began painting people, animals, and nature on the walls. The Frescoes were also popular in the Renaissance period, for Michelangelo used the same techniques as the Romans to create masterpieces in churches.

There are two types of frescoes Buon Frescoes, and Secco Frescoes. Buon Frescoes were created by a few, sometimes complicated steps. First, they have to make plaster. Then apply it to whichever wall they want to put a fresco on. In most cases, Frescoes were made when a wall was just built, or fairly new. While the plaster was still wet, the artist painted a picture on it. To create a Secco Fresco one would have to use dry plaster, and then spread something wet, like an egg yolk, on the wall. Secco Frescoes are more simple to create tha...

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... so unique, you would never find something like that in today’s art world. The Frescoes were unlike any other kind of painting technique, because they involved a wet wall and plaster. Overall, the Romans truly were geniuses!

Works Cited

Thompson, Nancy L. "Roman Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

"Interview: Margaret Koval." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

Milani-Santarpia, Giovanni. "Painting Techniques of the Ancient Romans."Mariamilani.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

Zanzig, Laura. "Art History Presentation Archive." Art History Presentation Archive. N.p., 9 Jan. 2007. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.

"What Were the Roman Frescoes Used For?" WikiAnswers. Answers Corporation. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. .