Ancient Rome has had a rich, lasting artistic legacy, influencing arts and culture into our modern world. Examples of sculpture, architecture, and writing abound, but what about painting? Beyond a few scant examples, very little has survived of this art form, once regarded as the highest in all Roman society.

We dive into the story of Roman painting - how it developed, its artistic heritage (dating back to the Greeks and Etruscans), and how it developed. We discuss some fantastic surviving examples in Pompeii and Herculaneum, and the four painting styles that developed there - complex, refined, and still deeply appealing.

We also discuss the Fayum portraits, some of the only remaining painting on board and canvas. The naturalistic rendering of these portraits demonstrate a level of technical detail often overlooked when thinking of Roman painting. Hauntingly realistic portraits painted for the dead, as part of Egypto-Roman funerary rituals - painted when either alive or dead.

We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we've enjoyed researching it!

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Hosts: Adrian Cathie and Sami Pontin

Editing and Design: Adrian Cathie