THE FRESCO:A Model for

International Education

Presented by Georgia Gene Berryhill, Ph.D.

Professor of Art HistoryUniversity of Maryland - UMUC

Preserving Culture

• Frescoes are located in several parts of the world and hold important cultural content. They provide education and understanding about our various past histories.

• Frescoes have substantial longevity and therefore, remain as a record for us to enjoy and learn from today. But these historical paintings still need protection and preservation, as they continue to be subjected to a range of vulnerabilities including open air deterioration and vandalism.

Background

• The three Fulbrights I received involved photographing and archiving, preservation and interpretation of the iconography of Medieval and Renaissance frescoes.

• Through studies of frescoes from around the globe including ancient cave arts came the realization that these may be thought of as

the first frescoes—damp limestone cave walls painted with natural mediums found in the earth.

Cultures Worldwide Make Frescoes

• African Frescoes—8,000-12,000 years ago--Tassili• Egyptian Frescoes--secco (dry), 1539-1295 BC• Minoan Frescoes--buon (wet) Crete, 2000 BC• Indian Frescoes—buon, Ajanta cave frescoes, first century BC to

7th century AD –Buddhist period to present day Madhva Pradesh. • Sri Lanka – similar periods—rock paintings: Sigiriya• Yucatan, Mexico-Mayan Frescoes—under water, 200-300 AD• Ancient Rome and Greece—Estruscans, 9th-1st c. BC. Hellenists,

16th c. BC• European Medieval and Renaissance –buon and secco, 300-1600

(UNESCO)

• Frescoes also exist in Afghanistan, Iran, Central Asia and Japan as well as other locations.

• “Frescoes were painted in temples, mosques, palaces and private residences.”

(Fresco Painting (Naqqashi)

Gilf Kebir – Swimmers: plateau of the Sahara, in southwest Egypt--Libyan border

Neolithic, ab. 8,000 years ago (Bradshaw Foundation)

Cave Arts—Tassili-Algeria

8,000 BC: Origins of Egyptian Culture?

(Coulson and Campbell)

Ajanta Cave Frescoes--India

Buddhist Religious paintings on vaults: Oldest known Indian frescoes--2nd c. BC(Shunya)

First Century Fresco-ancient Rome

Roman villa in the Trinquetaille district of Arles(History Blog)

Patmos-Byzantine Orthodox Monastery Frescoes, 10th c.

Monastery of St. John the Theologian: Greek island of Patmos. Book of Revelation written ab. 100 AD by St. John

(Intrepid Travelogue)

Vitruvius—First Century Roman Architect

Vitruvius wrote 10 books on architecture--De Architectura--30-20 BCE; fresco making and painting

was covered in Book VII. In 1486 (early Renaissance), it was republished, and had

great influence on the education of Renaissance architects, artists and the public.

Leonardo da Vinci illustrated Vitruviun Man in 1492, showing the measurements of the human body, based on the Greek mathematical concepts of the circle and square.

More modern techniques evolved, some successfully—and some not.

Vitruvius, Book VII, c. III

The Western Medieval and Renaissance Periods

• Though the zenith of western fresco making is known by many to be from the European Medieval and Renaissance periods, this technique of wall painting has been a favorite medium through the centuries globally, most likely as early as the Neolithic period.

• More modern processes were introduced in the 1400s and are still in use today, with methods drawn from Renaissance artists like Giotto, Vasari and Michelangelo.

Bulgarian-American Commission

“In late June, the US Embassy in Bulgaria announced the establishment of a bilateral Bulgarian-American

Commission for the preservation of Bulgaria’s cultural heritage. Its main task will be to highlight the

importance of cultural heritage for the development of tourism in this country and facilitate the exchange of expertise between specialists from both countries.”

(Radio Bulgaria)

17th c. Dormition Church-Kalotina, Bulgaria (arriccio & intonaco)

Other Current Projects

• UNESCO-World Heritage Centre provides educational information and opportunities to partner and support cultural projects.

• • For more information: • http://en.unesco.org/themes/protecting-our-heritage-and-

fostering-creativity

Making Frescoes• There are a number of approaches and techniques for making frescoes; the secco (dry) fresco method was used by da Vinci on The Last Supper (Santa Maria delle Grazie church in Milan, 1495-UNESCO)

500 years old, The Last Supper (secco) began deteriorating soon after it’s completion in 1497. • Secco (dry) is not as durable as buon (wet) fresco, employed by artists like Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel ceiling and walls.

•

The Last Supper-da Vinci

(Opus Mag)

Sistine Chapel-Michelangelo

(The Times-UK)

Fresco Techniques: Brief OverviewNOTE: the majority of cultures follow the same basics: • Making the lime plaster.

Troweling it onto walls and ceilings.• Drawings rendered on butter paper or thin,

waxy paper (cartoon).• Pouncing transfer (charcoal powder dusted

onto the pin-pricked line drawings, while held against the intended fresco wall.

• Paint is applied using earthen minerals, plants, rocks which are ground down into powders and mixed with water. (Distilled is best.)

• Final coat of lime plaster must still be wet (buon) when paint is applied.

• When dried, it is burnished and/or a wax mixture is applied.

Variations to the Basics

• Ajanta Caves: Rock surfaces are prepped with a coating of earth or cow dung mixed with straw or animal hair for binding. A thin coat of smooth lime plaster is then applied on top before drawing and painting processes. (Fresco Painting-Naqqashi)

• For secco (dry) plaster application, often egg was mixed with the pigments--tempura.

• Michelangelo’s Special Techniques: – Only used 7 color pigments derived from earth

and clay: earth green, ochres for yellows and reds, cobalt or lapis lazuli for blues.

– Used white coating (mined from Melos) under the

color pigments to create more brilliance.

DEMONSTRATIONS

• Prepare the pigments.• Prepare the buon (wet) plaster.• Prepare the drawing for pouncing.• Pounce the drawing to the plaster.• Paint a series of pigment layers starting with

the Verdaccio (light and dark undertones).• Let dry.• Apply wax/oil coating.

Rock/Minerals for Pigments

(The Fresco School)

Crush with a glass muller

Mix with distilled water

Continue to grind and mix until fine

Scrape the mixed pigment into a jar

Finished and ready to apply!

Sifting, Prepping for Mixing

• Sift sand through screen.

I. Slaking: Mixing lime with water and sand

• Calcium hydroxide + H20 + calcium carbonate = a solid wall melded with the paint pigments which can last thousands of years.

12 x 12 inch Tile Backs-Apply rough coat (arriccio) with trowel

Troweling Lime Mortar onto Tile

Arriccio base coat (rough)

Allow to dry

Intonaco layered on top of the Arriccio Coat (rough 1st coat)

Final Coat—smoothest--often a mixture Of lime putty and marble dust

Make a group of rough coat (arriccio), well dried, to keep on hand

Pounce Transfer

• When the plaster has dried to the correct buon (damp) surface, transfer and painting must begin.

• But first, place the drawing on top of cardboard. • Punch holes along the drawing lines with a pin. • Hold against the buon plaster. • Apply charcoal powder using pounce bag. • Image dots (lines) will appear as a guide for the

painting.

Pouncing the drawing onto the wet (intonaco-finish layer coat)

Painting onto Damp Plaster

• First coat–semi-transparent: • Technique: Verdaccio• Establishes light and

shadow

(The Fresco School)

Second Coat

Third Coat-color base

Fourth Coat-detail: buon and/or secco

Waxing and Burnishing

• Apply a blend of wax/oil.

• Burnish/polish with the side of a candle until very smooth.

• Before waxing, you may rub in a thin layer of umber or other brown coloration to age.

What causes damage?

• Careless Preparation• Too damp (building walls)• Salt within the mixture (sand) or wind blowing

salt off the sea• Neglect• Poor fresco cleaning techniques• Poor restoration attempts

Final Comments• Frescoes are international in scope and visually teach the stories of

cultures worldwide for cross-cultural awareness and understanding. They are also essential for transference of culture from one generation to the next and, supports advancement of knowledge for humankind.

• Frescoes keep a historical record of cultural heritage as they can last for thousands of years if protected and cared for by professionals in the field.

• Fresco information exchange builds bridges between countries, as they share and collaborate government entities and organizations like UNESCO and Fulbright.