Roman Painting Styles

[Caius Fabius]

Over and over I see references to Roman Painting style I, style II, style III, style IV... in my reading and study of the Herculaneum and Pompeii remains. I never covered this in school or university. What are they talking about? Can anyone recommend a good book on the subject?

[Tarbicus]

[amazon]Art in the Lives of Ordinary Romans[/amazon], by John R. Clarke.

Only recently got it, but has Styles of interior decoration 1, 3 & 4 in its index. What I have managed to read of the book is very interesting so far. I think the styles are from different periods?

This splendidly illustrated book brings to life the ancient Romans whom modern scholarship has largely ignored: slaves, ex-slaves, foreigners, and the freeborn working poor.

[Susanna]

The today's knowledge of the antique painting originates from the finds of the paintings in Herculaneum and Pompeji. 1882 August Mau published his book „History of the decorative Wallpaintings in Pompeii“, where he participated those for into four styles.
1. Style: Incrustationsstil, brick-work style
This Roman version of the Greek brick-work style imitates essentially monumental ashlar masonry by colored painting, cutting or plastic organization with stucco.
2. Style: Architectural style
Here at the beginning of still living pantings, architecture was copied, the walls increasingly broken and releases „architecture windows“. In the advancement it comes to several levels, which depth effect of architecture front and background in strengthened. In the late phase the architectural elements, like columns, are thinned elbows, column out etc. ever more, out of touch with reality and any longer did not become buildable. In addition the walls are again increasingly closed and one tended again to two-dimensionality.
3. Style: Ornamentaler style
The walls are now completely closed and in two dimensions arranged, with mono chrome painted color surfaces in the colors black, red and white. Volumes, lines and architectural elements divide the surfaces into zones. The central zones can carry framed film gates, for example with landscapes or mythologischen scenes.
4. Style: the last pompejanische style
In 4. Style the achievements of the four styles are into one another united. Into those horizontal and vertically separated walls are trained decoration volumes, free-floating Medaillons and image fields. The architectural elements win volumes, are clearly more plastic represented. Luxuriös and richly arranged ornamentations with light shade effect lend a altogether rich and more real effect.

I took a not very good, but understandable translation from Wikipedia text about that theme in German.
I think this is a very good discription, I had it as a theme in my university tests in classical archaeology.
Its a very beautiful theme...

[richsc]

Those numbers refer to identifiable wall decorating patterns from Pompeii. See Connolly's book "Pompeii" for a illustrations and explanation.

As far as figure painting goes, I don't think I"ve heard of any particular styles. There is a book on the identified painters of Pompeii, but it only gives written lists, no matching illustrations.

[Restitvtvs]

Hi Charles

Another good Roman wall painting book is "Domus: Wall Painting in the Roman House"; by Donatella Mazzoleni, Umberto Pappalardo, and Luciano Romano (); published by Getty Trust Publications: J. Paul Getty Museum.

It's relatively expensive, but very good quality photography and printing.

[url:21xxgujn]http://www.amazon.com/Domus-Painting-Trust-Publications-Museum/dp/0892367660/sr=1-1/qid=1157537372/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-3831102-1492166?ie=UTF8&s=books[/url]

[Graham Sumner]

Hi Charles

Peter Connolly's book on Pompeii gives a simple illustrated description of the styles, you could also try Roger Ling's book on 'Roman Painting'.

Graham.

[Restitvtvs]

Hi Graham

Yes, Roger Ling's "Roman Painting" is also very good, and not quite as expensive.

[url:2f37hdp0]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0521315956?v=glance[/url]

[Restitvtvs]

Charles: Roman painting happens to be one of my new, less painful hobbies. I collected links from my favorite Roman (and other) painting websites, and posted them at:

[url:cuhsspuh]http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=231537&ck=[/url]

Hope these websites help. Best regards, +r

[Caius Fabius]

I guess I should be more exact! I have several of the books, and I'm getting another couple, but as we are painting my living room, I was wondering if the styles ever co-existed in the same room.

Yes, we're just copying stuff from the Roman painting books, but I didn't want to make a big error and mix style II and IV on the same wall, or something.
I am looking at Connolly's book, but Susanna's translation actually helped me see it better. I need to remember who borrowed my copy of Ling's book, another one I bought and didn't have time to read yet, just looked at the pretty pictures. The older I get, the more books I have yet to read....

Laudes to Susanna!

Thanks to all!

[richsc]

That's a good question. I'm sure that the Pompeiian's didn't mix styles in the same room, but in the same house? Have to look at the photos but it seems like they would have, since it takes so long to get anything built and painted, evidenced by all the incomplete repairs to the houses since the previous earthquake.

[Susanna]

No, they did not mix styles, altough it is sometimes really hard to differ between the 2nd and the 3rd style.