when I was in high school, our art department went on a trip to Italy. one of the highlights of the trip (and there were many) was visiting Pompeii. of course, my camera died about 10 minutes after entering the city, something I am still bitter about to this day.
the picture above is an image from the so called "Dionysian Mystery Frieze" from the Villa of the Mysteries and dates to about 60-50 BCE. it is thought to depict initiation rites into the Cult of Dionysus. Dionysus, also called Bacchus, is the god of wine, madness, ecstasy and epiphany.
what is most interesting about these paintings, to me at least, is that they are true frescoes. this means that the paint was applied while the plaster was still wet. this must be done quickly and in small patches so that the plaster does not dry before the artist has time to paint the images. the same technique was used by Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. it is likely that the frieze has survived for so long because of this technique.
to see the rest of the frieze and learn more about the villa, you may want to visit this site.
<3a
No comments:
Post a Comment