Although these is evidence that the Romans painted on portable panels, the majority of painting from the Roman era that survives today has come down to us in the form of frescos. The interiors of Roman villas were often composed of sparsely furnished, windowless rooms. Wall paintings were used to open up and enliven these dark, dreary spaces with colorful decorative motifs and architectural elements that appeared to look out onto pastoral landscapes. The fresco technique practiced during the Classical era has been described in the histories of Vitruvius and Pliny the Elder. First, the wall was prepared by applying multiple coats of mortar (a mixture of lime and sand) followed by one to three coats of lime mixed with finely powdered marble. The colored pigments were applied directly to the plaster while the wall was still damp, forcing the artist to complete the specific area being painted before the wall dried.This gorgeous fragment attests to the remarkable skills of Roman painters, an important facet of Roman art that was relatively unknown until discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum where a plethora of perfectly preserved frescos were uncovered. While the sculptures of the Classical era are among the most recognizable works of art in the world, it is through frescos like this one that we can now say with certainty that the painters of Rome were as accomplished as their sculptor counterparts. - (X.0139)

Antiquities
Ancient Roman