Ancient Roman Wall Paintings

In reading about ancient Rome, it seems to me that Rome then resembled a “little New York” of today. The only difference is that New York is diversified due to immigration and job opportunities. Rome was diversified because as they conquered various countries, Rome became a city of mixed cultures and adopted ideas. Wall paintings became infamous during the Roman Empire because it was an expression of ideas and religion; for some it told a story of battles or social status.

Frescoes were the art or technique of painting on a moist plaster surface with colors ground up in water or a limewater mixture sometimes with a little wax. During the first century A.D. these paintings were painted on a specially prepared wall with three layers of plaster and three layers of a special coating. By applying colors to the top layer while wet made the fresco durable and effective for a relatively long period of time. Canvas was also used by Romans depicting battle scenes and displayed in some public buildings, gardens, special buildings, and the homes of the wealthy. Later, during the reign of the Catholic Church the paintings became a part of the church scenery, displaying heavenly scenes on the ceilings and walls. Ancient Rome used murals that displayed mythological scenes of heroic deeds of Hercules, Achilles, Ulysses, and Theseus. These Murals or paintings could be found on walls and ceilings of special buildings.

Materials consisted of paint brushes made of twigs, wood, reeds or rushes. Shaped wood or ivory was used for engraving. Paint was made from ground rocks (containing iron ore) and powdered plants. Red and yellow came from ochre (any of several earthy mineral oxides of iron occurring in yellow, brown, or red and used as pigments) and white was produced from chalk. Green came from green soil, while black came from soot. Blue was a mixture of copper and glass, but purple derived from a particular seashell.

Artist used various techniques in creating a mural ranging from encaustic painting, fresco, oil painting, and tempera painting; the term fresco is in fact often used interchangeably with the terms mural or mural painting. Other techniques that created an illusion of space were the Intuitive Perspective; this architectural detail follows diagonal lines that the eye perceives as parallel lines receding into the distance. This would make an object appear further away than it really was. The next technique used was the Atmospheric Perspective. This is where the colors became slightly grayer in the background, reproducing the tendency of distant objects to appear hazy (Marilyn Stockstad, 2007 pg. 145). These techniques covered walls with subject matter consisting of several influences. The Romans often mixed different styles of the cultures they conquered. By use of combined styles they constructed lifelike paintings of their leaders and emperors. Mainly, the Romans believed in many gods and goddesses in their religion. By painting frescoes and murals they believed they were paying homage to the particular god or goddess painted. Other subject matter included murals of food, coins, jewelry, and weapons usually in the homes of the wealthy.

Early Roman murals depicted pictures of blood and gore exemplifying battles of the past. Later the church whined more heavenly murals of saints and people looking to the ‘Heavens’.

Murals can be found today still in existence in the ancient Rome ruins. Extensive series of second style murals (Villa of the Mysteries, Pompeii c. 50 B.C.E., EyeconArt. 2007)

Fresco in the Villa of the Mysteries, Pompeii can be found today at Pompeii in a recently excavated villa nearby Oplontis. This mural was survived due to being preserved by soot from a volcano. Even at the house of Augustus on the Palatine Hill in Rome was decorated. Cave paintings in Roman catacombs or underground cemeteries also remain today with its walls refurbished.

These characteristics were typical of this time period because during this era they did not have machines and the hardware that we use today. They used basic material from the earth and create a lifelong masterpiece. Their art evolved faster because they utilized ideas of the countries they conquered with their own. Paintings resembled what was important to them during that time period in the same way our government paints a portrait of our Presidents.

References:

Pankti. (2000). Art of Ancient Rome. Retrieved October 12, 2007 From Brisas Museum of Art History.
http://www.Kyrene.org/schools/brisas/sunda/arthistory/rome.htm.

Roman Art and Architecture. (2007). Roman Paintings. Retrieved October 12, 2007 from Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia.
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557356/Mural_Painting.html

Robin Urton. (2007). The Roman Empire. Retrieved October 12, 2007 from Eyecon Art. http://www.eyeconart.net/history/ancient/rome.htm.
Marilyn Stockstad. (2007). Art A Brief History (3rd ed). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.