infocus #2 June 2006 Not a day without a line drawn

DOI: 10.22443/rms.inf.1.4

This paper presents a review of the current state of the study of Roman paintings using scientific and primarily microscopic techniques. Despite the wealth of available material, the scientific analysis of pigments from Roman art is in its infancy with only a small range of material published in the literature. Much of the current discussion of Roman paintings relates to the works of contemporary authors, primarily the natural historian Pliny and the architect Vitruvius, as reliable sources concerning the extent of
artists’ palettes. Whilst their works do cover the standard palette, analyses have shown that there are local and regional palettes emerging. Not surprisingly, the range of materials is far broader than supposed.