The material remains of pigments allow us to have new insight into the choices made in the production of wall paintings, as well as the knowledge that Roman painters had about the pigments that they used. Indeed, Roman painters had incredible knowledge about the chemical and physical properties of pigments. This knowledge base can be explored in three ways. First, there were fraudulent pigments on the market; savvy pigment buyers could learn tips so that they could spot adulterated or fraudulent pigments. These consumer tests relied upon chemical reactions, sensory tests, and even the specific gravity of objects. Using these tests, consumers could be critical of products at the market place and buy better quality materials. Secondly, finds of pigments in pigment shops and workshops in Pompeii and Rome demonstrate that some artists potentially had a range of pigments from which to choose. But artists did not use these pigments indiscriminately, as some pigments were avoided. This is because, as textual evidence indicates, the Romans knew that some pigments were incompatible with the alkalinity of Roman frescoes. Finally, the fact that Roman artists had a refined knowledge of pigments can be demonstrated by looking at how these artists used pigments. At Aventicum (Switzerland), five different white pigments were used in the same room—but all of them in discretely different ways. This, paired with other examples, speaks to a knowledge of the physical properties of pigments (luminosity, mixability, coverage, etc.) that was scrupulously followed.

Ars pigmentorum: Roman painters and their knowledge of the chemical and physical properties of pigments

2019 Spring National Meeting

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