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THE ROMAN FRESCOS OF POMPEII

At the height of //Pax Romana,// the Roman Empire enjoyed not only a time of peace but also an explosion in the area of the arts. One such art form advanced by the Romans was painted plaster walls, known as frescos. A fresco was a wall painting technique in which the pigments are dissolved and only water is applied to fresh lime plaster (Clark). However, the exact technique used by the Romans remains a mystery.One of the most abundant collections of Roman frescos are found in Campanici,Italy, which is near the Bay of Naples (Knauer). It was there on August 24, 74 AD, that Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the town of Pompeii and all its treasures, including countless examples of these plaster wall painting. This disaster served to “freeze a moment in the past”. (Knauer) Luckily, these treasures were rediscovered during an ancheological expedition in 1748, and provided “an unparalleled record of the life of wealthy Romans”. (Knauer) These beautiful frescoes provide a visual history of life in Pompeii during Pax Romana.

The frescoes of Pompeii reflect the ideals and morals of Roman society. During this time, Pompeii and the entire Roman empire were enjoying a time of prosperity, in both agriculture and trade. This allowed citizens to pursue and support artistic endeavors (Fresco Art). Wall painting found in the homes discovered in Pompeii depicted every aspect of society, including sporting events, landscapes, seascapes, garlands, masks, religious subjects, and even erotica, in red, yellow and black tones (Fresco Art). In fact, some frescoes depicting sexual relations "in many variations and combinations" are considered so explicit that only adults can actually view them (Fresco Art). Clearly, the Romans' ideals and moral regarding such depictions were far more liberal than today's society. Frescoes were used by home owners as a way to show off their wealth or social standing in the town. The more decorated a home's walls were, the higher in social or political status was its owner. These "grandiouse political gestures" though the home's frescoes was a way to show ones status and hopefully more up the ladder (Clark).

Because many Roman homes were quite small and sometimes windowless, the frescoes painted in the early 1st century B.C. were designed to open up a room, and make it feel more open and light (Gunther). Frescoes often provided an "allusion of windows...which looked outward onto imaginary scenes." (Gunther) Murals would often encompass an entire wall, and would be painted from different angles (Gunther).These types of frescoes, like the ones found in Pompeii are an example of the Second Style of fresco art (Gunther). The "Villa of the Mysteries" is an example of this style of frescoes.

It is amazing that as a result of the terrible volcano in 74 A.D., we are fortunate enough to have been left with these wonderful examples of early Roman frescoes.

SCENES FROM "THE VILLA OF THE MYSTERIES"


 * BIBLIOGRAPHY**

Clarke, J.R. "Pompeii." Oxford Art Online. Oxford U. Press, 2007. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. .

Gunther, Micheal D. "Roman Paintings: Frescoes From Campania." Art and Archaeology. N/A, 2009. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. .

"History of Fresco Painting." italianfrescoes.com. N.p., 2001. Web. 9 Mar. 2010. .

Knauer, Regina Elfriede. "Roman Painting." The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dept. of Greek and Roman art, 2000. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. .