There are four notable “Pompeian Styles” of murals, as identified by the German art historian August Mau, aptly named First through Fourth Styles (Gardner). Each style inherently has different characteristic that define it, but the painting process for Roman mural painting was the same. Roman murals, or wall paintings, were referred to as “frescoes,” which the painting process where colors were added to plaster walls while the plaster was still damp (Gardner). “The painter prepared the wall by using a trowel to apply several layers of plaster (mixed with marble dust if the patron could afford it)” (Gardner). An assistant would then finish off the mural by polishing it in such a way that the mural would appear to look like marble.
The First Style of mural was also referred to as the Masonry Style. This style used cheaper materials such as stucco in an effort to imitate more expensive materials like marble panels. The most noticeable feature of the First Style, through the perspective of a modern-day observer, is that these murals did not hold up well over time, which can be seen in the fauces of the Samnite House.
The Second Style is described as the “antithesis of the First Style” (Gardner). This style showcases more than just simple panel work. The Second Style is characterized by three-dimensional paintings that are full of life and tend to extend the boundaries of the four-walled room.
An example of the Third Style is seen in cubiculum 15 of the Villa of Agrippa Postumus (Gardner). The Third Style is imposing, accentuating the physical characteristics of the room. In the Third Style, murals are generally one or two colors, highlighted only by small backgrounds or borders.
Finally, the Fourth Style in some ways incorporates aspects of the First Style and the Second Style. The Fourth Style appears simple and decrepit, but is also characterized by three-dimensional artwork that adds depth the room. The Fourth Style is also very eclectic, being home to multiple, seemingly separate paintings in the same mural.
- Gardner, Helen, and Fred S. Kleiner. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: A Global History. Nelson Education, 2015.
