Imagine living in ancient Pompeii when suddenly the earth begins to rumble and the sky turns black. Vesuvius is erupting! After thousands of people died and their homes and paintings were destroyed, one remaining art form survived: the Roman fresco. The key to its survival is for the art to be in the walls! When people discovered that the frescoes were unharmed, they were shocked! The frescoes were created as soon as the walls were built and the plaster was placed. When the plaster began to harden and dry, they painted the design on the wall. The paint mixed with the plaster and as long as the wall was up the art was there. The earliest known form of fresco design was Egyptian tomb and wall, hieroglyphics. They depicted animals, royalty, slaves, buildings and much more. Frescoes evolved from Egyptian tombs to the homes of wealthy Roman families. They started by showing history or maps, but the Romans considered frescoes an art, so they began painting people, animals, and nature on the walls. Frescoes were also popular in the Renaissance period, as Michelangelo used the same techniques as the Romans to create masterpieces in churches. There are two types of frescoes Buon Frescoes and Secco Frescoes. The Buon Frescoes were created with just a few, sometimes complicated, steps. First they have to make the plaster. Then apply it on any wall you want to fresco. In most cases, the frescoes were created when the wall was just being built or quite new. While the plaster was still wet, the artist painted a picture on it. To create a Secco Fresco you should use dry plaster, and then spread something wet, like an egg yolk, on the wall. Secco frescoes are easier to create than... middle of paper... so unique, you will never find something like it in today's art world. Frescoes were different from any other type of painting technique, because they involved the use of a wet wall and plaster. Overall, the Romans were truly geniuses! Works Cited Thompson, Nancy L. "Roman Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Home. Np, nd Web. March 23, 2014. “Interview: Margaret Koval.” PBS. PBS and Web. March 23, 2014.Milani-Santarpia, Giovanni. "Painting techniques of the ancient Romans."Mariamilani.com. Np, nd Web. March 21, 2014. Zanzig, Laura. "Art history presentation archive." Archive of art history presentations. Np, 9 January 2007. Web. 25 March 2014. "What were Roman frescoes for?" WikiAnswers. Answers Corporation. Network. March 31. 2014. .