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“The Use of Colours and the Brave Show They Make” – Pigments of Roman Frescos

September 2, 2014 by Natasha Sheldon 1 Comment

The pigments available to Roman artists were wide and variable, allowing them to produce high quality pieces of wall art such as this example from the Villa Oplontis. Image by Natasha Sheldon.

Romans artists used an extensive array of materials to create a variety of noteworthy colours in their frescoes. How did Rome make such beautiful pigments?