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Akrotiri Frescoes
The Bronze Age frescoes from Akrotiri on the Aegean island of Thera (modern-day Santorini) provide some of the most famous images from the ancient Greek world. Sometime between 1650 and 1550 BCE Thera suffered a devastating earthquake which...
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Fresco, Pompeii
A Fresco (c. 60 CE) from the Roman town of Pompeii depicting Terentius Neo holding a scroll and his wife who holds a stylus and writing tablet. From the Villa di Guilia Felice. The villas of Pompeii were richly decorated with wall paintings...
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Fresco with Melpomene
A fresco fragment depicting Melpomene, the Muse of Tragedy, from the House of Julia Felix in Pompeii, 62-79 CE. (now in Louvre Museum, Paris)
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Minoan Frescoes
Frescoes are the source of some of the most striking imagery handed down to us from the Minoan civilization of Bronze Age Crete (2000-1500 BCE). Further, without written records, they are often the only source, along with decorated pottery...
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Garden Fresco, Livia's Villa, Rome
A section of the garden fresco from the triclinium or dining room from Livia's Villa, Rome, 1st century BCE. The fresco runs around all four walls and gives a 360° panorama of a luxuriant garden with birds and insects against a brilliant...
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Griffin Fresco, Knossos, Crete
A detail of the griffin fresco reproduction from the throne room, palace of Knossos, Crete, (1700-1450 BCE).
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Monkey Fresco, Akrotiri
The Monkey Fresco from Room B6 in Akrotiri on the Aegean island of Thera (Santorini), c. 17th century BCE. The monkeys are climbing rocks in an effort to escape dogs which are chasing them. (Museum of Prehistoric Thera, Santorini)
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Narcissus Fresco, Pompeii
Fresco depicting the myth of Narcissus, in the House of Octavius Quartio at Pompeii.
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Roman Wall Painting
The interiors of Roman buildings of all description were very frequently sumptuously decorated using bold colours and designs. Wall paintings, fresco and the use of stucco to create relief effects were all commonly used by the 1st century...
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Fresco Showing the Riot of 59 CE in the Amphitheatre of Pompeii
Fourth Style fresco depicting a riot that broke out in Pompeii in 59 CE during games held in the arena involving Pompeians and inhabitants of Nuceria. On the orders of Nero, this event led to the closure of the amphitheatre for ten years...