LA PITTURA PARIETALE

I quattro stili della pittura a Pompei

Gli stili pittorici a Pompei

The wall decoration in roman houses and villas have been classified into four styles according to figural content an chronology.

First style Second style

Third style Fourt style

The first style III – I sec. B.C.

• The first style, also called encrustation style, was popular from 150 b.c. and can be recognized by the shiny stucco decoration imitating marble lined walls.

• The final result il achieved by inserting a variety of colors into different partitions for lower panel, for the smooth paintings

Ricostruzione della decorazione della casa di Sallustio a Pompei

Una stanza nella villa di Arianna a Stabia

The second style 80 b.c./14 a.d.

• Also referred to as the architectural style, is characterized by the fact that the walls of the house create an illusion of being open to the outside world.

• Involved the depiction of architectures which extended the phisical space of the house towards imaginary landscapes, makes good use of perspective to create two or more levels of depth.

The second style 80 b.c./14 a.d.

• These compositions included columns in the foreground and colonnades in perspective disappearing into the distance with the figure subjects or large painting, a mytological, heroic or religious theme, in addition to small panels with doors set between the architectural features.

• This highly scenographical decoration seems to have been inspired by a growing theatrical taste.

Casa di Augusto al Palatino dal 36 a.C.

Cubiculum of the Villa dei Misteri in Pompeii

Villa of P. Fannio Sinistore in Boscoreale40/30 a.C.

The third style end I sec. B.C. up the 62 A.D.

• The third styles abandons the use of space and architectural features as the subject matter of the composition with the result that the over all decoration loses depth.

• The columns, balustrades, architraves and shelves are flattened against wall conserve a purely ornamental function.

• Landscapes are reduced to miniatures inserted into a single color background.

The third style up the 62 a.d.

• The third style is also referred to as pseudo Egyptian becouse of the presence of typically egyptian elements: lotus flowers, small stars, rosettes, colored fillets and a band running above the skirting with bulrushes and elegant birds in a variety of poses.

• The wall decorations depicting large scale subjects inspired by gardens with trees, fountains, pools, small columnes and birds in flight also belong to this period.

Casa di Marco Lucretius Fronto Pompeii

Casa del bracciale d'oro Pompei

La casa della Farnesina Roma

The fourth style after the earthquake of 62 A.D.

• These were also said to be in the ornamental style becouse the whole wall is treated simply as a free ornamental composition.

• The architectural features no longer have any references to reality and are reduced to unreal designs, the ornamentation is often excessive.

• There is also frequent use bas relief stucco work. Figure paintings become smaller or disappear altogether.

Casa dei Vettii in Pompeii; Victorian

drawing reconstruction of an ancient Roman

fresco.

Triclinium della

Casa dei Vettii a Pompeii

LE TECNICHE USATE

Encaustic painting

Fresco painting

Fresco Art

• The art term Fresco (Italian for 'fresh') describes the method of painting in which pigments are mixed solely with water (no binding agent used) and then applied directly onto freshly laid lime-plaster ground (surface).

• The surface is typically a plastered wall or ceiling. The liquid paint is absorbed by the plaster and as the plaster dries the pigments are retained in the wall. Before paint was applied, the artist usually made a preparatory drawing (sinopia) in red chalk.

Encaustic painting

• One of the principal fine art techniques of the ancient world, widely used Egyptian, in  Greek, Roman and Byzantine art.

• Encaustic painting uses hot beeswax as a binding medium to hold colored pigments and to facilitate their application to a surface.

• The liquid/paste is then applied to a surface usually wood panels or walls.