History/Fresco

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Frescos

History/Fresco

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In the beginning- Cave paintings are the earliest known frescos and have been discovered in France, Spain, and Italy. Their ages range from 30000 to 1000 BC. Original materials included dirt, charcoal and vegetable based colors. Primitive pigments were also derived from mineral deposits and were highly prized. These were then mixed with spit or animal fat to create a "paste" for drawing. The Minoans, found on the island of Crete, created a revolution in approximately 1500BC by discovering a method to spread pigment on wet plaster. It is at this point in history of fresco that lime was introduced as a key ingedient although history does not reveal whether the Minoans added the lime to the wet plaster or to the pigments. Regardless of methodology, it is clear that the addition of wet plaster became the step forwards the fresco technique eventually perfected by renaissance artist. Due to the diverse methods and materials used in the eras between prehistoric and medieval man, two terms came into use in approximately 1400 to describe two very diffrent forms of fresco creation. Buon fresco or "true" fresco, became the term equated with the use of color application to wet lime plaster, using water as a vehicle(or binder) that allowed the pigment to penetrate the plaster. As the plaster dried, the pigment became part of, or bound to, the crystalline plaster structure. Secco fresco,or "dry" fresco, became the term equated with the use of pigments applied to the dry plaster using an organic medium as a vehicle. Early cave painters are now to have used a secco technique.

Fresco in the middle ages- Masters from the middle ages and the Renaissance are credited for perfecting the fresco technique. Celebrated works by masters such as Michelangelo, Giotto and Raphael are excellent examples of frecos created during this era. Frescos were now made with plaster that consisted of fine sand, lime and marble dust that was applied in small sections. Therfore, large frescos consisted of many small sections pre-planned to make the seams invisible. The freso frenzy reached it peak in Italy in the 17th Century when famlies commissioned renowned fresco artist to adorn villas and family chalets. Pigments were readily available making it both practical and desirable to commission large and multicolored frescos such as the Sistine Chapel's famed ceiling.

Modern Times- Modern fresco artist still create art, as did their Renaissance and prehistoric counterparts. However, todays design professionals typically equate the word fresco with a surfacing material for walls or other interior planes. It is often specified to emulate or recreate the aesthtic of costly stone (marble or travertine) or as a facsimile for geographic or "period" aesthetics (such as the interior walls of a Tuscan villa). Modern technology and materials have added new qualities to today's frescos. When specifying fresco finishes, it is important to understand how the pigment is added to the formation. Fresco artist will use an integrally-pigmented system wherin the color is mixed into the plaster and becomes actual part of the surfacing material(similar to the buon fresco). This is an important aspect as integrally-pigmented frescos provide higher durability and better color retention. Modern technology also provides today's fresco artisan with tools improved over the original animal bones,feathers, and moss pads. Trowels are now the applicators main tool.