Show Notes
So what is a Fresco?
There were several types, most of which, most people haven't heard of.
Would you be surprised that many of the Roman frescos that we "Ohh" and "Ahhh" over today, were considered ridiculous and tacky, but some Roman authorities of the time?
Listen to this episode and learn something new about Roman Frescoes.
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Glossary for this episode A secco Painting carried out on dry plaster, using a binder such as glue, egg, or wax to help the pigment adhere. It allows finer detail than true fresco, but is less durable. Albararii Roman plasterers who applied and polished the fine white finishing coats on walls and ceilings. Buon fresco “True fresco.” Pigment mixed with water is applied to fresh lime plaster while it is still damp and setting, so the colour bonds into the wall surface itself. Calcite A mineral form of calcium carbonate. Fresco A general term often used loosely for wall painting Fresco secco Literally “dry fresco.” Another way of saying painting done on dry plaster rather than into a fresh lime surface. Hybrid fresco-secco workflow The combination of a durable fresco base with additional details painted later in secco. This seems to have been common in Roman wall painting. Insulae Roman apartment blocks Lime The key binding material in Roman plaster and mortar. It was central to both construction and decoration. Lime wash A thin coating of lime, often tinted, used to brighten or colour a wall. It could be simple, economical, and very common. Marble aggregate Small crushed marble fragments used in fine Roman plasters to improve finish, density, and sheen. Mezzo fresco A term used for painting onto plaster that is no longer freshly wet but still damp enough to take pigment. Mosaic A floor or wall surface made from small pieces of stone, glass, or ceramic. In Roman interiors, mosaics often worked visually with painted walls. Pictor imaginarius A specialist painter, especially one responsible for more refined or figurative wall painting. Pigment The colouring material used in paint. Roman pigments could be cheap local earths or imported luxury substances. Plaster A coating of lime mixed with sand, marble dust, or other aggregates, applied in layers to walls and ceilings. In Roman interiors it formed the decorative skin of the building. Pozzolana Volcanic ash used in Roman mortars and concrete. More associated with structural work than fine painted plaster, but part of the broader Roman lime technology. Sandiarii Workers involved in transporting or handling sand and other raw materials used in plaster and mortar preparation. Sinopia A red ochre underdrawing or marking-out method. The term is often associated with later painting practice, though marking-out techniques in general were also used by the Romans. String line A line snapped or pressed onto a plaster surface to guide straight borders, panels, or architectural designs. Stucco In the Roman ContextFine decorative plaster Trompe l’oeil A painting technique designed to “fool the eye” by creating the illusion of depth, architecture, or open space on a flat surface. Vitruvius Roman architect and author Whitewash / whitewashing A simple lime-based coating used to whiten and brighten walls. In Roman interiors this could be a finished surface in its own right or a base for further decoration.
Sources: Vitruvius, De Architectura (Book VII) Pliny the Elder, Natural History (Book XXXV) August Mau, Pompeii: Its Life and Art (1899) Roger Ling, Roman Painting (1991) Donatella Mazzoleni & Umberto Pappalardo, Domus: Wall Painting in the Roman House Buy me a Coffee
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