The Romans penetrated the Iberian Peninsula in 218 A.de C. and above all, from the middle of the second century BC. C. stable settlements began to be created. The Romanization of numerous villages was already for the wars of conquest or by the socio-cultural influence, it spread more than five centuries.
The Romans have left archaeological remains on their ground that have made it possible to study this interesting and proliferate culture that has had so much influence in the course of the history of humanity, laying the basis of moral codes, justice, political, religion, urbanization and military strategy. The paintings found in various cities that were under the domination of Rome announce important aspects of their culture, the fresco paintings found in Pompeii are like iconographic pages of a memoir left for posterity.
Rome was a town of farmers, merchants, warriors. The Romans showed greater interest in practical things and their artistic works always carry a utilitarian seal. Roman art develops from Etruscan and Greek influences, reached its greatest splendor in the era of the Empire.
Being a dominating people, founder of a vast empire, the Romano had the fundamental concern to maintain dominance over the colonized territories, for which he mobilized powerful armies, gave life to a dense body of laws that squeezed the ties between the metropolis and the provinces, and developed a gigantic constructive work with a varied repertoire of architectural forms perfectly adapted to their ends. His two great achievements were law and architecture, but his main merit is to have extended the Greco -Roman civilization for a vast part of the known world.
Roman culture It was developed in Italy from 200 before C., until the fourth century after C., some consider it lower than the Greek art, but in reality it was more varied, more flexible and in certain aspects it is closer to modern art; His influence on the art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance was remarkable.
They used new colors that obtained from the combination of different substances as a material basis, so the range becomes broader than that previously used by the Greeks and even by the Egyptians. The Romans used in their painting of figurative features innovative resources in their eagerness to elaborate it as faithful as possible to reality, using elements As the perspective, the symmetry, the use of the shadows to highlight the figures on the background and others with exquisite taste and mastery.
From the first century, two pictorial currents or styles are observed:
– The neo -attic style: that cares about human form, highlighting matters of mythology and epic.
– The Hellenistic style – Alejandrino: which reveals concern about rural painting cultivating landscape and marinas.
In Roman mural painting we found that the fresco was the preferred method although it has been pointed out that other techniques must have used and even combine them. The fresco allowed to cover the defects of the construction materials employed that were not of very good quality while decorating the walls with narrative scenes of various topics.
In the Roman painting At the beginning of the second century until 79 of our time (painting in Pompeii), four styles are observed:
1. Incrustation. (I mimic marble decoration)
2. Architectural. (Imitate the lining and architecture)
3. Mixed or ornamental. (It is a mixture of the previous two)
4. Illusionist or scenographic. (RECARGED MIXING OF THE SECOND WITH THE THIRD STYLE)
The technique of color spots is used, applied with loose brush, without detailing, as the impressionists and pretentious touches of shade and light did centuries later. Also in painting, a tendency towards realism is palpated, so the preferred issues are the portrait, cartoon and landscape.
These works had a practical character when they were used to decorate, but they also had a strong propaganda element, serving as support to bring Roman philosophy and politics dare of the peoples with which they had contact.
Roman Erotic-Sexual Content Painting.
The philosophy of liberality and disinhibition allowed the issue of nude in both sexes, to express even with quite explicit and daring scenes where the figures appear in acts of sexual content, which can still blush some. This type of painting was used in the decoration of houses dedicated to sexual activities, in public bathrooms also where they even marked the space assigned to keep their locker room and personal effects with combination of quite explicit numbers and erotic scenes.
The Roman mosaic
It also had broad representation in the Palacios, where the same themes were discussed as in fresh painting or on other elements. The technique in which they are elaborated results in works of expressive beauty. Many of these mosaics were used in the decoration of large rooms in the floors enhancing the intention of expressing the splendor and luxury of these buildings.
Among the topics used we find:
– Marinas
– Lifting Naturals
– Heroic legends
– Erotic issues
– War affairs
– The portrait
– Hunting issues
– Mythology
Other pictorial techniques used in Rome in antiquity.
Among those other pictorial techniques used are the easel that was popular Among the upper classes of the Roman Empire. and small fresh paint as well as a technique that is known as the encaustic made of cloth or wood.
Many details of Roman painting are known through the frescoes found in the city of Pompeya, they are observed that they are like copies of Greek paintings based on the issues they show and the techniques used. As we mentioned earlier lto poverty of the architectural materials used in the Roman constructions propitious a development of mural painting. The use of materials such as concrete, ashlarejo, bricks or masonry, forced to place a lining on them. For this, the walls were treated with a layer of white and fine stucco that was subsequently polished. The stucco was reduced marble to dust that was mixed with lime or tail for adhesion to the wall.
Known painters of Roman painting in ancient times.
Two names stand out as precursors of Roman historical painting:
– Fabius: Painter barely known, lived about 300 ac
– Pacuvius painter that we know nothing about his artistic production although we can imagine that his tendency towards the Greek would be decisive.
These two painters tend to represent a type of historical paintings in which the representations of battles and the commemorations of victories would be the most frequent themes. These military scenes were conceived as propaganda posters exhibited by the winning generals in their triumphal walks when they returned home.
Roman techniques and innovations used in wall paintings.
The technique of the wall paintings produced within the Roman houses is inspired by the Greek tectonics, that is, the division of the wall into three parts:
– Plinth
– Superstructure.
– Intermediate zone
Another innovation of Roman painting is the opening of the wall through a painted perspective in the form of an open window in which the characters in two ways were introduced:
– Through small figurative paintings
– Placing the characters envelopes the sockets as a theatrical space.
The absence of furniture and the large spaces of courtyards and rooms made these coatings necessary. The painting that has come to us is not representative of the entire Roman era, the painters at this time were rather artisans with special skills and knowledge about Greek techniques and themes.
The colors were applied to the newly plaster and wet wall, with them they managed to apply the color inks, they penetrate creating a thick layer. Sometimes it was painted directly if the plaster had dried. This paint is immediately recognized since the little adherence of color makes it more easily cuited.
Stylistic and chronological division of Roman painting.
– First Pompeyan style
– Second Pompeyan style
– Third Pompeyan style
– Pompeyano fourth style.
The earthquake occurred in the city of Pompeii in the year 63 caused such damage to it that the majority of the city had to be rebuilt. Therefore all the coatings were made again, although some years later they were damaged in the eruption of Vesubio. The technique used in these new paintings sought the unreal and amazing effects leaving aside expertise and previous refinement. Architectural simulations are replaced by fantastic compositions, which do not refer to an objective reality.
The examples that have come to us, both from Rome and Pompeii, make us establish differences between the two geographical areas.
– In Pompeya there is a predilection for bright colors such as purple, red cinnabar, intense blue, or golden yellow for columns.
– However, in Rome, intonations are clear about totally white funds.
We will address the issue of architecture in a different entrance since due to its importance and transcendence it requires studying it in more detail.