![]() ![]() The surface of the finished stucco was so smooth it looked like polished marble. The basic outline of the composition was prepared and the colours were then added to the fresh plaster the colour pigments penetrating into the stucco material hence the painting would last longer. Interestingly calcium carbonate is the chemical that makes up natural marble. This greater resistance to the effects of time and wear is due to the protection of a transparent film of calcium carbonate formed by the chemical reaction between slaked lime in the plaster and the air. If the surface were wood then colours might be first dissolved in wax and added to the wall using a spatula known as encaustic painting. When the fresco had dried a secco (meaning on dry plaster) was applied in the form of soft pastel colours and they added details to the painting when the surface was dry ( tempera). After the wall had been inscribed a fresco was painted using bold primary colours. ![]() After the polishing and before the wall was fully dry, the drawings were outlined using fine incisions to guide the artists. To make the surface very smooth and ready to take paint they polished the surface with glass, marble and cloth. The stucco forms a very dense solid that is durable, attractive smooth and weather-resistant. This technique was known as Stucco or render. The top layer of wet plaster, often containing powdered marble rather than sand, was moulded and painted while still wet to resemble pediments, capitals and doorframes. The slaked lime dried and reacted with the air forming calcium carbonate (CaCO 3) in which the aggregate was evenly distributed. ![]() On to this they added three other coats of a mixture of slaked lime and fine sand or crushed marble to give a smoother finish. This was often three layers thick and composed of slaked lime (calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2.) and coarse sand (or volcanic pozzolana). On to the surface of the wall they applied a rough coat of mortar. The wall paintings in Pompeii were executed using the fresco technique. There are many references to Roman art in other mediums such as wood, ivory, and other materials but the fact frescos are more durable and have survived well, even being buried under tons of ash, gives us a good reason to study them as a window to the other arts. It is clear the ancient Romans decorated the interior walls of their houses with paintings executed on wet plaster, a technique known as fresco (meaning on fresh plaster).
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