This document provides information about ancient Roman construction techniques and wall painting styles. It discusses several types of masonry known as opus quadratum, opus incertum, opus reticulatum, and opus mixtum used from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD. Brick construction and opus vittatum/opera listata techniques popular from the 2nd to 4th century AD are also outlined. The document briefly introduces four Pompeian styles of wall painting from the 2nd century BC to 79 AD before concluding.

1. Art &
Architecture

2. Or,
An Awful Lot Mostly About Walls and Bricks.
Thanks to Sophie Hay, award-winning photographer and archaeologist for many (if
not most) of the photographs.

4. Know your walls.
• Opus Quadratum – dressed ashlar masonry
– By 2nd c BC Tufa blocks standardized 2x2x4 rm ft;
travertine follows natural bedrock, so not
standardized
• Opus Incertum – 6-10cm across
lumps, irregularly shaped, roughly smoothed
one side to form flat outer surface. Ca 2-1 c
BC.

9. • Opus Reticulatum – pyramid shaped nodules 6-12
cm sq, by 8-14 cm deep, point stuck in
concrete, base forms outer facing. Quoining done
in square blocks. Mid 1st c BC – late 1st c AD
• Opus Mixtum – horizontal bands 1 – 3 courses of
brick, at intervals, and brick replacing tufa blocks
for edging – Mid 1st c AD; during 2 c reticulate
gradually phased out in favour of fully brick, or
block-and-brick facing

13. • Brick – isoceles triangles, point in, flat base out.
Width of mortar courses can sometimes be used
as diagnostic for dating, but iffy.
• Opus vittatum / opera listata – block and
brickwork. Alternate one or two courses of
brick, one or two courses of small tufa blacks.
Blocks are rectangular on outer face, but taper to
the rear. Starts in 2nd c AD, very popular by 4th c
AD.

17. • Opus Africanum – vertical blocks of ashlar
masonry , with horizontal fill.

19. • Opus spicatum – brick or other material laid in
a herringbone pattern – floors.

22. • Only marble, travertine, and peperino
regularly left in natural state; everything else
was covered with stucco.
• Sometimes painted (red, black, yellow);
sometimes moulded decorations
incorporated, including imitation ashlar
masonry.
• Painted terracotta panels and friezes also
common.

51. And now, some art.

58. Pompeian Styles, Wall Painting
• First style – masonry style
– 200 – 80 BC
• Second Style – architectural, tromp l’oeil
– 1st century BC
• Third Style – ornate – symmetry, zoning
– Julio-Claudian
• Fourth Style – ‘baroque’ – like panels of
framed pictures
– 60 ish -79 AD

65. There’s an awful lot
more to learn.
Go forth!