The Roman Frescoes

The majority of Latin frescoes were found around the Mount Vesuvius, erupted on August 24, 79 A.D., burying much of the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

 “Latin fresco paintings” depicted on plaster of villas and porticos were divided according to the old classification in Four periods by the German archaeologist August Mau.


We try now to divide in a more logical way the latin painting heritage.

We first speak about a “Greek Style” as an “Ionic Etruscan Style”, whose influence is evident in the first frescos painted in the italian etruscan area.

“Greek Style” can be also divided in “Classic Greek Style” and “Hellenistic Greek Style”


Most of the work of genial artists of the Late Republican period, even if influenced by the Early Hellenistic, is lost and we can call that stage of development “First Renaissance Latin Painting Style”.