POMPEI INTRODUCTION, Frescoes

Even though many mural paintings have been detached from the walls and you have to go to the archaeological museum to see them today, many Pompeian homes still have part of their pictorial decoration.

The styles used to paint the Pompeian walls are very original and are usually divided into four categories. The First Style is called "structural" because it consists of painting simple blocks and stones that stick out of the wall, highlighting the wall's structure and simulating a coating of colored marble. It is obviously the simplest and least expensive decoration. The best examples of this style are in the House of Sallustio and the House of the Faun.

The Second Style is called "architectural" because it has large frames with depictions alternating with architectural perspectives. So the walls appear to be decorated with arches, columns, and aedicules that are actually just painted on. Among this type of illusion you'll also see highly original elements like fake hanging paintings or landscapes that seem to stretch beyond the walls they're painted on. Thus the space of a room will appear smaller or bigger depending on the elements that are painted in it. This style is characteristic of the first century BC and you can see several examples in the House of the Labyrinth, and especially in the frieze of the Villa of the Mysteries....