e bronze columns. The column on the left is ribbed and displays similarities to a Doric column. The column on the right however, lacks ribs and instead is covered with floral designs. Due to the coarse of time and exposure to the elements of nature, the Fragment of a Fresco does reveal it’s age. Slight cracking runs throughout the piece and small sections of fading are obviously apparent.The artist painted this piece using plaster with pigment. This technique is accomplished by applying a mixture of pigments and limewater to a wall before the plaster dries. A final coat of volcanic ash and wax was added to complete the fresco. The artist consciously depicted the scenes with a strong sense of reality. The square temple on the left panel as well as the round temple and other various buildings on the right panel appear precisely in their natural environment. This fresco exhibits characteristics commonly associated with works classified in the period of the Second Style. Both panels are filled with shadows that give the fresco a sense of depth and space. “They (Second Style frescos) depict large scale landscapes, with small figures in pale colors framed by painted pilasters. Their perspective is more atmospheric than linear, so that the illusion of depth increases as the forms lose clarity” (Adams 246). These aspects strongly support the classification of the Fragment of a Fresco into the Second Style. However, within this particular fresco lie techniques that are also associated with the period of the First Style. This style is marked by a portrayal of architectural illusionism. It appears that the wall is not a solid surface but rather a portal to the world beyond it. The addition of the columns, which appear to be in front of the wall and window, create an entirely imaginary architectural aspect and provide the three-dimensional effect that is visible. The use of shadows within this fresco shows the art...
