The Four Styles of Pompeian Wall Painting

In 1892 August Mau came up with a classification that broadly categorized four distinctive periods in Pompeian wall art covering about 150-200 years. They called First, Second, Third and Fourth Style respectively. Wall-painting was done in two stages: first, the base layer of plaster was applied to the wall and allowed to set.

Then, the second layer was applied and a basic outline of a pictorial scene might be very gently scratched into this semi-dry layer (sort of like we draw with a pencil first, then colour in the image), followed by thin layers of 'paint' applied with a brush.

The decoration done as the wall plaster was wet, so artists had to work very fast. The 'paint' was actually wall plaster with minerals (like red cinnabar, which is the famous Pompeii Red colour) or things like burned wood (for the colour black) and precious stones for blue (lapis lazuli was ground up for this making blue the most expensive and rarest colour. In less common cases, this process might be done and/or embellished with layers of

Because of the skill required and materials involved, pictorial scenes were expensive and the man hours required were high. Perhaps it is actually quite common to the Peruvian type of painting using natural materials for dye

First Style

The first style is called Incrustation or Masonry style and dated from 150-90BC and was identified by Vitruvius as one made up of colored blocks. It was an illusory style which sought to built up a stucco relief resembling marble and its is likely that this style was imported from Greece. The wall is divided in to zones. At the bottom is the plinth above that the Socle. Orthostats are the large blocks. Then Iosodomic courses and string course and projecting cornice. It is a relief wall built up with stucco and then painted in many colors. Molded details could include pediments, capitals and door frames.

Examples can be found at the House of the Faun, House of Sallust

• 1ststyleHoFaun1.jpg

  thumb|First Style found at the House of the Faun

• 1ststyleHoFaun2.jpg

  thumb|First Style found at the House of the Faun (Fauces)

• 1ststyle.jpg

  thumb|First Style

• ==Second Style==
• Examples can be found at the Villa of the Mysteries and the Villa at Oplontis.
• ==Third Style==
• ==Fourth Style==
• Famous examples can be found in the House of the Vettii, House of Menander. Some 80% of the walls in Pompeii are painted in style. Its predominance could be a consequence of the rebuilding of Pompeii after the quake.
• ==Conclusions==
• From the examination of Roman wall painting that we've undertaken a few things can be said and a few points should be stressed:
• *There can be overlap between the Styles. So perhaps the ‘Styles’ are too rigid.
• *Many houses have more than one Style of wall-painting in them, which means that there is an overlap in personal taste and fashions as well and in some cases these do not change up to the AD 79 eruption.
• *While the Four Styles are a useful tool, they are only a tool.
• ==Examples==