Skip to navigation – Site map

HomeEGG Special IssuesEGG 5DossierA wall painting from the domus of...

Dossier

A wall painting from the domus of Palazzo Govone-Caratti at Alba Pompeia (Italy)

Interdisciplinary study aimed at the conservation of a fragmentary work
Greta Acuto

Abstracts

The thesis project concerned the conservation of a roman fragmentary mural painting, found during the archaeological excavation held in the court of the medieval Palazzo Govone-Caratti at Alba in 2008. The aim of the project was the study of the items from a historical, artistic and scientific point of view with an interdisciplinary approach. The results of the study supported the restoration of the fragmented plasters focusing on the reconstruction of their original disposition.

Top of page

Full text

The author would like to thank the Professors of the University of Turin who supported her during her work on the wall painting from Alba, in particular Professors Valeria Meirano, Lea Ghedin, Lorenzo Appolonia and Tommaso Poli. She also would like to thank the Archaeological Superintendency of Piedmont, in particular the late Dr. Maria Cristina Preacco, and Dr. Valentina Barberis.

  1. Introduction

  • 10

1The fragmentary wall painting the article deals with originally decorated a refined hall of a roman domus at Alba Pompeia (Cuneo province, northern Italy), perhaps corresponding to the triclinium. The area of the domus was subsequently occupied by the medieval Govone-Caratti Palace, which was restored for residential and commercial purposes between 2007 and 2012.1 Many decorated plasters were found in fragments during the construction of an underground garage in 2008. A team of archaeologists compiled by the Archaeological Superintendency of Piedmont recovered the painted fragments and placed them in secure storage.

2Each piece of plaster and its whereabouts was carefully documented by means of photography and survey. The archaeological items were placed in boxes and moved to the storerooms of the Museo di Antichità in Turin. From there, they were transferred to the "La Venaria Reale" Conservation and Restoration Centre in 2013 to allow their study through an interdisciplinary approach, from a historical, artistic and scientific point of view. The results of the study provided further information on the cultural asset which supported restoration of the plasters focusing on the reconstruction of their original location.

  1. The wall painting of the domus of palazzo govone-caratti

    1. From discovery to retrieval

  • 10

3The walls of the Roman Palazzo Govone Caratti domus were made in opus craticium, with a plinth in opus incertum and the higher part of the wall in perishable materials such as clay and straw: both parts were covered with painted plaster. From a photograph taken during the excavation in 2008 (ill. 1) it is clear that the plinth was preserved in situ together with the abundant collapse of decorative plasters, which lay on the ground2. The fragments from the south wall were surrounded by a thick layer of clay.

Fig. 1 The excavation area

Fig. 1 The excavation area

The plinth and the collapse layer of the painted plasters lying on the ground

© Archivio della Soprintendenza Archeologica del Piemonte

Courtesy of Dr. Maria Cristina Preacco (Archaeological Superintendency of Piedmont)

4The archaeologists charged with the excavation by the Archaeological Superintendency of Piedmont retrieved the painted plasters. They made a careful photographic and graphic documentation of the fragments, and some of them were protected using acrylic resin and cotton gauze. They placed the groups of coherent fragments in cardboard boxes and the sporadic items in plastic ones. Unfortunately, the coherent groups were sometimes cleaned using aggressive methods which removed part of the pigments; other fragments were glued together using irreversible materials such as epossidic resin and hard plaster, without paying enough attention to the planarity of the painted surfaces. Pieces of paper tape had been affixed to the surface of some fragments for the purpose of numbering, and this material partially ripped the pigment.

    1. The thesis project

5The plasters were transferred to the “La Venaria Reale” Conservation and Restoration Centre in 2013. During the first phase of the study an inventory was compiled, listing all the fragments contained in the 84 boxes. At the same time, the items were accurately observed and photographically documented. Index cards listed stylistic features, technique, state of preservation and previous interventions. These data were then updated during and after restoration.

6An archaeological and historical study was conducted on the most interesting pieces, and the constituent materials analyzed with different scientific methods defining the pigments present. Different competences were involved in the project, to ensure appropriate intervention on the cultural asset.

7Documentation from the excavation allowed a representative portion of the apparatus (1m x 2m approx) to be reconstructed. This phase of the intervention should be considered as a first step prior to the restoration of the entire wall (7m x 2,5m approx).

    1. Stylistic features

8The chronology of the wall painting spans from the second half of the 1st century AD to the end of the first quarter of the 2nd century AD. We recognized in the stylistic features a clear influence of models from Campania (Southern Italy): the patrons in Alba Pompeia were propertied and had probably been able to afford itinerant craftsmen.

9The archaeological documentation allowed for the understanding of the pattern for the decoration of the south wall, the higher part of which was decorated by three horizontal stripes painted in purple, white and black. Underneath these stripes, the wall was painted in red and regularly interrupted by four (or five) vertical pilasters. There may have been a black painted plinth or a thin green strip in the lower part of the wall, and we hope that further studies will highlight this point.

10Several parts were finely painted with tiny decorations, like floral patterns or calligraphic lines. The most significant motifs were the frieze on the aforementioned white strip in the higher part of the wall, the decorations on the vertical pilasters and the only figurative element recovered so far, a little white depiction of Eros.

  • 10
  • 10
  • 10
  • 10

11The frieze on the white strip consists of a succession of golden craters and cups (ill. 2). The craters can be compared with similar decorations found in Campania, for example at a domus at Muregine3, at the Pompeian domus of the so called “bikini Venus”4 and of Octavius Quartio5. On the contrary, the cups constitute an unusual motif which is rarely paralleled in mural paintings. Some tiny decorations in the form of palmettes decorating the cups on the white strip, can be compared to similar details in the via Cerrato domus at Alba Pompeia6.

Fig. 2 The frieze on the white stripe

Fig. 2 The frieze on the white stripe

Some fragments representing the succession of gold craters and cups

© Greta Acuto

12The pilasters are composed by a vertical succession of small panels decorated alternatively with leaves and symmetric geometries (ill. 3).

Fig. 3 The vertical pilaster

Fig. 3 The vertical pilaster

Some fragments showing the decoration

© Greta Acuto

  • 10
  • 10

13Three panels were probably decorated with curved black lines on a green background: little groups of white dots between the lines represent flowers. We can suggest an interesting comparison with a wall painting found at the Roman city of Eporedia in Piedmont7. The remaining panels show a symmetrical composition on black background: in this case we can also find parallels in the paintings of Eporedia8.

  • 10
  • 10  

14The little Eros (h: 18-19 cm, ill. 4) was represented resting on one of the vertical pilasters: this is the only complete anthropomorphic painted figure found in Alba so far, as only a few little fragments of human figures had been discovered at the Teatro Sociale9 and at the via Cerrato domus10. Given the rarity of the figure of Eros and its poor state of preservation, we decided to apply RTI (Reflectance Transformation Imaging) – an innovative technique – at the imaging laboratories of the "La Venaria Reale" Conservation and Restoration Centre. This technique allowed us to obtain interesting information about the surface morphology of the artifact, and to observe the design and  conservative features in detail (ill. 5).

Fig. 4 The Eros

Fig. 4 The Eros

Fragments representing the Eros, the only figurative subject found

© Greta Acuto

Fig. 5 Analysis on the Eros

Fig. 5 Analysis on the Eros

Reflectance Transformation Imaging (Rendering mode: diffuse gain; gain: 100).

© Virtual elaboration by the Imaging Laboratory of the Conservation and Restoration Centre “La Venaria Reale”

15Three different kinds of “carpet rim” patterns were found, with ochre-yellow calligraphic decorations at the border between two monochromatic areas; the better preserved one was composed of circles and palmettes and set between the black strip at the top of the wall and the red monochromatic area (ill. 6).

Fig. 6 One kind of “carpet rim”

Fig. 6 One kind of “carpet rim”

Calligraphic decorations on the division between two monochromatic areas

© Greta Acuto

16The modularity and repetition of the decorations made it easier to understand their development. After extensive study, the features of the single decorations were hypothesized with the use of  a graphic software. A virtual two-dimensional representation (ill. 7) was used to recreate the entire south wall before it collapsed.

Fig. 7 Virtual proposal

Fig. 7 Virtual proposal

Hypothetic appearance of the entire south wall before the crash

© Greta Acuto

    1. Technique

17Roman plaster was generally very thick: the wall painting at the Palazzo Govone-Caratti domus is made of 4 different layers of plaster. The roughing-in (from 3 mm to 1,5 cm), nearer the wall, is coarse and grey. The floating coat appears similar to the previous layer, but thicker (5 cm approx). The grey plaster (1 cm) is compact and coherent. The plaster finish (1 mm) is white and fine, probably limestone powder based.

18The transposition of the design was made with a point on wet plaster: the craftsmen used these guidelines to define the general architecture and subdivision of monochrome areas, to delimit areas destined for free-hand drawings, and to trace the symmetry axis (e.g.: the body of the Eros, the golden craters, the cups). Circular lines were defined with compasses. A preparatory red drawing is visible under some abrasions.

19The purple, black and red big areas had probably been painted on wet plaster, while the tiny decorations had been added on dry plaster, using purple, yellow, green, red and light blue pigments. The scientific analysis (XRF, Raman and FTIR) revealed that the pigments used were mostly natural: red and yellow ochre, green earth, carbon black, limestone white, hematite. The green and purple pigments were mixed with grains of Egyptian blue, as usually the case in Roman painting technique.

  • 11  

20The body of the Eros figure was painted on dry plaster with fast lime strokes: the lime was mixed with different pigments in order to obtain different tonalities for each part of the body11.

    1. State of preservation

21The state of deterioration of the wall painting from Palazzo Govone-Caratti is really severe: the fragmentary character of the artifact compromises conservation and its possible exhibition. The plaster and the plaster finish are compact and coherent, but the roughing-in and the floating coat present de-cohesion and de-adhesion in some areas.

22As mentioned above, the fragments were placed in cardboard or plastic boxes by the archaeologists, depending on their belonging to coherent groups. The groups were cleaned and in some cases glued together, producing some damages such as abrasions, scratches and removal of pigments, especially to the fragments previously applied on dry plaster, which are always more fragile. Sometimes, new plaster supports were applied without paying enough attention to the planarity of the painted surface (ill. 8). On the contrary, the sporadic fragments were not cleaned by the archaeologists and when they arrived at the Conservation and Restoration Centre they were covered by a thick layer of clay (1-2 cm): their pictorial film is better preserved (ill. 9).

23In some cases, the surface was covered with numerous ground crusts.

Fig. 8 Previous interventions

Fig. 8 Previous interventions

Aggressive cleaning and application of a new plaster support

© Greta Acuto

Fig. 9 State of conservation of the fragments recovered in plastic boxes

Fig. 9 State of conservation of the fragments recovered in plastic boxes

Clay deposits on the surface of the fragments

© Greta Acuto

  1. Restoration

24As mentioned above, the study started with the inventory and observation of all fragments. At the same time, the archaeological documentation, in particular the survey made on transparent sheets recording the exact location of each fragment (scale 1:1), was examined. Following thus, a virtual map of all the fragments in the excavation area was created, as an immediate reference for position and approximate location on the part of the wall they came from (ill. 10). This map was particularly useful during the reconstruction of the wall painting. It was also used to select a portion of fragments to be restored in this preliminary phase of the work.

Fig.10 Virtual map

Fig.10 Virtual map

Location of the painted plasters in the excavation area (courtesy of Dr. Maria Cristina Preacco, Archaeological Superintendency of Piedmont).

© Greta Acuto

25Different techniques were used to clean the fragments, because they showed varying states of preservation: the fragments in plastic boxes were cleaned removing the thick ground layer using a damp sponge and a soft brush, initially preserving 1 mm of ground on the surface. This part was removed in a second phase using demineralized water (50%), acetone (25%) and ethyl alcohol (25%), with 1% tensioactive (Desnovo). Then, the cleaning was improved by using demineralized water with 2% non ionic tensioactive (Tween 20) supported by agar gel, which is a non aggressive product on water-sensible materials. On the contrary, the fragments contained in carton boxes had already been cleaned by the archaeologists, so we just removed the dust from the surface with a soft brush. Demineralized water (50%), acetone (25%) and ethyl alcohol (25%) with 1% tensioactive (Desnovo) were used only when necessary.

26The second step consisted of spreading a layer of sand on a table in such a way that the surfaces of all the fragments were at the same level even if they had different thicknesses. This facilitated the searching for junctures between the fragments. Firstly, items were positioned according to location as stated in the archaeological documentation (ill. 11); then indications such as decoration patterns,  technique (e.g. the incisions) or state of preservation (e.g. scratches, abrasions) were used for further alignment. All marks were useful for recomposition of the first portion (1,5 x 2,5 m approx).

Fig. 11 Recomposition

Fig. 11 Recomposition

The fragments on a sand layer

© Greta Acuto

27In some cases, the restoration of the planarity of painted surfaces was hindered by the clay which had penetrated previously into the cracks. The pictorial film was protected with acrylic resin and cotton gauze; the clay was then dumped and removed with a lancet. In other cases some fragments had been glued and plastered incorrectly: surfaces were protected in the same way and any hard plaster removed with a micro-drill where necessary.

  • 12  

28The next phases have been planned but not yet realized. Various stages were tested on fake fragments of wall painting produced using the Roman technique. The pigments applied on dry plaster could be consolidated with nanometric particles of lime (Nanocalce) due to its compatibility with the original material. The fragments with perfect junctures were glued using Vinavil A4, which had already been tested by the IsCR Laboratory in a similar situation, on mural painting fragments from the San Francesco Church in Assisi12.

  • 13  

29The backs of the fragments will have to be thinned for fixing to the supporting panel, otherwise it will be too heavy and difficult to move: it would be advisable to remove around 1 cm of the plaster layer. For practical and conservation reasons we suggest small groups of fragments (50x50 cm approx) be assembled, the gaps filled and then the front protected with acrylic resin and cotton gauze. The assemblage could then be isolated with plastic film, put into a wood container and kept in its correct position using some chalk13. The thinning will be done at the end with a small flexible.

30The backs of the fragments could then be consolidated: compatible products as Nanocalce or ethyl silicate should be tested. A new support layer made of PVC web and a little layer of plaster should be created, to increase resistance.

31The groups would be fixed in their correct position on a light panel of aerolam using epoxidic resin for adhesion. A layer of cork between the panel and the fragments would grant reversibility, in the event of a future need for separation.

32The aesthetic presentation was discussed with the Archaeological Superintendency personnel: a virtual restoration was produced in order to consider various possibilities. In this first phase, a layer of neutral plaster will be spread under the level of the paint layer. Once all the fragments of the wall are restored, a coloured fill will be spread at the same level of the original surface: the colour will suggest its continuity with the pigments applied on the wet plaster, like a sort of background: the modern material will be easily recognizable (for example, by showing the same luminosity and tonality of the original pigment, but lower saturation). The decorations applied on dry plaster will not be re-painted, in order to respect the historic issue of the artifact.

33The following solutions could be adopted to exhibit the restored painting. The first one is preferable for small portions of preserved painted plaster. In this case, small groups of fragments similar to irregular “islands” in the panel will be reconstructed. For the second option the subdivision of the painted stripes on the panel using recognizable materials will be reconstructed whether a major quantity of original material is preserved (ill. 12).

Fig. 12 Virtual proposal: aesthetic presentation

Fig. 12 Virtual proposal: aesthetic presentation

Hypothetic appearance of the entire south wall before the crash; panel at the end of the restoration

© Greta Acuto

  1. Exhibition proposals

34At the end of the restoration the panel will be exhibited in Alba. One solution would be to display  the fragmentary artifact where it was discovered, under the Palazzo Govone-Caratti. A part of the ancient plinth and mosaic found in the same room has been preserved in the underground garage and the room itself could be inserted into the “Alba sotterranea” itinerary, an underground visit to various archaeological sites in Alba. Otherwise, the panel could be exhibited at the “F. Eusebio” Civic Museum in Alba, where other wall paintings found in the city are kept. This would allow immediate comparisons to be drawn and it would be easier to access the artifact.

  1. Conclusions

35The cognitive analysis performed on the remains has produced interesting results. The partially restored artifact can now be compared to the wall plasters found in Alba Pompeia, but also to mural paintings from other sites in Cisalpine Gaul and the rest of the peninsula. The completion of the virtual proposal for the original decoration of the entire wall was greatly satisfying. The restoration work done on the first panel will provide the guidelines for operations on the entire apparatus. We are now waiting for further studies and work to confirm or reject our proposals.

Top of page

Bibliography

ADAM, J., L’arte di costruire presso i Romani. Materiali e tecniche, Milano, Longanesi, 2006.

ALLAG, C., BARBET, A., “Téchniques de préparation dans la peinture murale romaine. Antiquité”, dans MEFRA, 1972, n. 84/2, pp. 935-1070.

AUGUSTI, S., I colori pompeiani, Roma, De Luca, 1967.

BACCHETTA, A., Edilizia rurale romana: materiali e tecniche costruttive nella pianura padana (II sec a.C.- IV sec d.C.), Firenze, All'insegna del Giglio, 1967.

BALDASSARRE, I., CARRATELLI, G.P., Pompei pitture e mosaici, voll. I-X, Roma, Treccani, 1990-2003.

BARBET, A., “Le remontage des enduits murales romaines”, dans Recherches d’Archéologie Celtique et Gallo-Romaine, edited by P. M. Duval, Genève, Droz, 1973, pp. 67-81.

BARBET, A., La peinture murale romaine: les styles decoratifs pompéiens, Paris, Picard, 1985.

BUGINI, R., FOLLI, L., VAUDAN, D., “Les pigments vert et rouge d’une peinture murale d’époque romaine républicaine (Brescia, Italie)”, dans Art et chimie, la couleur. Actes du Congrès. Paris 15 septembre 1998, edited by J. Goupy, J. Mohen, 2000, pp. 119-120.

DELPLACE, C., “Pitture romane in Piemonte”, dans Archeologia in Piemonte. II, L’età romana, edited by L. Mercando, Torino, Allemandi, 1998, pp. 155-166.

DELPLACE, C., “La villa suburbana di Eporedia (Ivrea). La decorazione dipinta”, dans QuadAPiem, 1998, n. 15, pp. 109-147.

FILIPPI, F., “Urbanistica e architettura”, dans Alba Pompeia. Archeologia della città dalla fondazione alla tarda antichità, edited by F. Filippi, Alba, Famija Albeisa, 1997, pp. 41-90.

FILIPPI, F., “Intonaci parietali da due domus di età imperiale di Alba Pompeia (Alba, CN)”, dans I temi figurativi nella pittura parietale antica, Atti del convegno AIPMA. Bologna 20-23 settembre 1995, edited by D. Scagliarini Corlaita, 1997, pp. 209-212.

FRIGGERI, R., NAVA, M.L., PARIS, R., Rosso pompeiano, Milano, Edizioni Electa, 2007.

Guida al recupero, ricomposizione e restauro di dipinti murali in frammenti: l'esperienza della Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, edited by Gruppo di studio e progettazione per il restauro dei dipinti murali in frammenti della Basilica di S. Francesco in Assisi, Roma, Litografica Iride, 2001.

KELBÉRINE, C., “Conservation des peintures murales: l’exemple des peintures gallo-romaines”, dans Conservation des sites et du mobilier archéologiques. Principes et méthodes, edited by N. Meyer, C. Relier, Paris, 1988, pp. 47-59.

KROUGLY, L., NUNES PEDROSO, R., “Les enduits peints antiques”, dans La conservation en archéologie, edited by M.C. Berducou Masson, Paris, UNESCO, 1990, pp. 305-332.

MERCANDO, L., Archeologia in Piemonte. II. L’età romana, Torino, Allemandi, 1998.

MICHELETTO, E., CAVALETTO, M., “Alba, Palazzo Govone-Caratti. Strutture abitative di epoca medievale e romana”, dans QuadAPiem, 2008, n. 23, pp. 190-193.

MORA, P., MORA, L., PHILIPPOT, P., La conservazione delle pitture murali, Bologna, Compositori, 1999.

PREACCO, M.C., “L’età Romana”, dans Civico Museo “Federico Eusebio” di Alba. 1- Sezione di Archeologia, edited by E. Micheletto, M. C. Preacco, M. Venturino Gambari, Torino, Regione Piemonte, 2006, pp. 43-78.

PREACCO, M.C., “La decorazione pittorica nel Piemonte romano: spunti e riflessioni tra vecchi e nuovi ritrovamenti”, dans La pittura romana nell’Italia settentrionale e nelle regioni limitrofe. Atti della XLI settimana di studi aquileiesi. Aquileia 6-8 maggio 2010, edited by G. Cuscito, 2012, pp. 59-65.

PREACCO, M.C., DA PIEVE, P., “Pavimenti nelle città romane del Piemonte sud-occidentale: un aggiornamento tra vecchi e nuovi ritrovamenti”, dans Atti del XVIII colloquio dell’Associazione Italiana per lo Studio e la Conservazione del Mosaico. Cremona. 14-17 marzo 2012, edited by C. Angelelli, 2013, pp. 133-142.

1 MICHELETTO, E., CAVALETTO, M., “Alba, Palazzo Govone-Caratti. Strutture abitative di epoca medievale e romana”, dans QuadAPiem, 2008, n. 23, pp. 190-193; PREACCO, M.C., “La decorazione pittorica nel Piemonte romano: spunti e riflessioni tra vecchi e nuovi ritrovamenti”, dans La pittura romana nell’Italia settentrionale e nelle regioni limitrofe. Atti della XLI settimana di studi aquileiesi. Aquileia 6-8 maggio 2010, edited by G. Cuscito, 2012, p. 62

2 2 PREACCO, M.C., DA PIEVE, P., “Pavimenti nelle città romane del Piemonte sud-occidentale: un aggiornamento tra vecchi e nuovi ritrovamenti”, dans Atti del XVIII colloquio dell’Associazione Italiana per lo Studio e la Conservazione del Mosaico. Cremona. 14-17 marzo 2012, edited by C. Angelelli, 2013, p. 138

3  FRIGGERI, R., NAVA, M.L., PARIS, R., Rosso pompeiano, Milano, Edizioni Electa, 2007, pp. 153-155

4 4 BALDASSARRE, I., CARRATELLI, G.P., Pompei pitture e mosaici, vol. II, 1990-2003, pp. 538-539

5 5 BALDASSARRE, I., CARRATELLI, G.P., Pompei pitture e mosaici, vol. III, 1990-2003, p. 58

6  FILIPPI, F., “Urbanistica e architettura”, dans Alba Pompeia. Archeologia della città dalla fondazione alla tarda antichità, edited by F. Filippi, Alba, Famija Albeisa, 1997, p. 81, fig. 37a

7 7 DELPLACE, C., “La villa suburbana di Eporedia (Ivrea). La decorazione dipinta”, dans QuadAPiem, 1998, tav XLIIIa

8 8 DELPLACE, C., “La villa suburbana di Eporedia (Ivrea). La decorazione dipinta”, dans QuadAPiem, 1998, tav XXXVIIc

9  FILIPPI, F., “Urbanistica e architettura”, dans Alba Pompeia. Archeologia della città dalla fondazione alla tarda antichità, edited by F. Filippi, Alba, Famija Albeisa, 1997, p. 75, fig. 31b

10 FILIPPI, F., “Urbanistica e architettura”, dans Alba Pompeia. Archeologia della città dalla fondazione alla tarda antichità, edited by F. Filippi, Alba, Famija Albeisa, 1997, p. 81, fig. 37a

11 The observation was made using the digital video-microscope Scalar DG-3,scale 25x.

12 Guida al recupero, ricomposizione e restauro di dipinti murali in frammenti: l'esperienza della Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, edited by Gruppo di studio e progettazione per il restauro dei dipinti murali in frammenti della Basilica di S. Francesco in Assisi, Roma, Litografica Iride, 2001, p. 79

13 The operation is temporary and the chalck will not be in direct contact with the original plaster, which will be isolated by the plastic film.

Top of page

Notes

10  

11  

12  

13  

Top of page

List of illustrations

Title Fig. 1 The excavation area
Caption The plinth and the collapse layer of the painted plasters lying on the ground
Credits © Archivio della Soprintendenza Archeologica del Piemonte
URL http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/docannexe/image/4814/img-1.jpg
File image/jpeg, 172k
Title Fig. 2 The frieze on the white stripe
Caption Some fragments representing the succession of gold craters and cups
Credits © Greta Acuto
URL http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/docannexe/image/4814/img-2.jpg
File image/jpeg, 1.1M
Title Fig. 3 The vertical pilaster
Caption Some fragments showing the decoration
Credits © Greta Acuto
URL http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/docannexe/image/4814/img-3.jpg
File image/jpeg, 1.4M
Title Fig. 4 The Eros
Caption Fragments representing the Eros, the only figurative subject found
Credits © Greta Acuto
URL http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/docannexe/image/4814/img-4.jpg
File image/jpeg, 60k
Title Fig. 5 Analysis on the Eros
Caption Reflectance Transformation Imaging (Rendering mode: diffuse gain; gain: 100).
Credits © Virtual elaboration by the Imaging Laboratory of the Conservation and Restoration Centre “La Venaria Reale”
URL http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/docannexe/image/4814/img-5.jpg
File image/jpeg, 2.0M
Title Fig. 6 One kind of “carpet rim”
Caption Calligraphic decorations on the division between two monochromatic areas
Credits © Greta Acuto
URL http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/docannexe/image/4814/img-6.jpg
File image/jpeg, 3.2M
Title Fig. 7 Virtual proposal
Caption Hypothetic appearance of the entire south wall before the crash
Credits © Greta Acuto
URL http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/docannexe/image/4814/img-7.jpg
File image/jpeg, 488k
Title Fig. 8 Previous interventions
Caption Aggressive cleaning and application of a new plaster support
Credits © Greta Acuto
URL http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/docannexe/image/4814/img-8.jpg
File image/jpeg, 2.9M
Title Fig. 9 State of conservation of the fragments recovered in plastic boxes
Caption Clay deposits on the surface of the fragments
Credits © Greta Acuto
URL http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/docannexe/image/4814/img-9.jpg
File image/jpeg, 164k
Title Fig.10 Virtual map
Caption Location of the painted plasters in the excavation area (courtesy of Dr. Maria Cristina Preacco, Archaeological Superintendency of Piedmont).
Credits © Greta Acuto
URL http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/docannexe/image/4814/img-10.jpg
File image/jpeg, 248k
Title Fig. 11 Recomposition
Caption The fragments on a sand layer
Credits © Greta Acuto
URL http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/docannexe/image/4814/img-11.jpg
File image/jpeg, 7.4M
Title Fig. 12 Virtual proposal: aesthetic presentation
Caption Hypothetic appearance of the entire south wall before the crash; panel at the end of the restoration
Credits © Greta Acuto
URL http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/docannexe/image/4814/img-12.jpg
File image/jpeg, 2.9M
Top of page

References

Electronic reference

Greta Acuto, “A wall painting from the domus of Palazzo Govone-Caratti at Alba Pompeia (Italy)”CeROArt [Online], EGG 5 | 2016, Online since 17 March 2016, connection on 29 March 2024. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/ceroart/4814; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/ceroart.4814

Top of page

About the author

Greta Acuto

Greta Acuto attended the degree course in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at the University of Turin, in convention with the Conservation and Restoration Centre “La Venaria Reale”. She specialized in the conservation of mural paintings, stone materials, decorative plasters and mosaics. She graduated on April 7, 2014 (110/110) and she was awarded with a grant by the Foundation “Franco e Marilisa Caligara” due to the interdisciplinary approach shown in her thesis.Now she is working as a qualified restorer in the archaeological site of Pompeii.

Top of page

Copyright

CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0

The text only may be used under licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. All other elements (illustrations, imported files) are “All rights reserved”, unless otherwise stated.

Top of page
Search OpenEdition Search

You will be redirected to OpenEdition Search