Mural painting is a spectacular technique of decorating ceilings, walls and other large surfaces. Some of the earliest murals in the Cave of Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc in southern France were painted in prehistoric times, dating back over 31,000 years. Of the many types of mural painting, one of the most famous is the fresco.

The Italian word ‘fresco’ (literally the noun ‘buon fresco’ means ‘true fresco’) is used to describe the painting of a picture on fresh (damp) lime mortar or plaster. Other mural-painting techniques apply paint on previously prepared (dry) plaster (‘fresco secco’) which remains on the wall’s surface. In contrast, fresh fresco painting applies wet colour to wet plaster and dries to become a permanent part of the structure. When it dries, the white of the wet plaster gives the colours on the wall an exceptionally bright transparency, similar to the clarity of watercolour on paper.

early masters …

In ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome during the period 6BC to 1AD, traditional mural painting was used primarily to decorate simple, flat surfaces and create immediate illusions of light in dark spaces. Some rare examples have survived of Egyptian tomb paintings (usually painted in secco) as well as Greek and Roman rural landscapes (usually painted in fresco). These paintings allow us a rare glimpse of how murals were used to transform and open up blank, unfurnished rooms. The beauty of this style then disappeared until fresco painting was rediscovered twelve centuries later during the European Renaissance.

In 13th century Italy the artist Giotto began to use fresco painting once again to decorate large-scale surface areas. His frescoes inspired and fascinated artists who continued using this technique uninterrupted for the next three centuries. The newly discovered rules of perspective drawing, combined with a naturally luminous colour palette made true fresco painting a unique art form. Renaissance artists including Masaccio, Michelangelo and Raphael used perspective to add an extraordinary illusion of space and depth to their frescoes. Artists could now paint scenes on an unprecedented scale that would integrate completely with their surroundings and use optical illusions to amuse and intrigue the public. Fresco painting was applied in increasingly sophisticated ways well into the late Renaissance and Mannerist periods of 16th century Europe.

recent developments …

Murals were used to great effect in the late 1800’s to illustrate national pride in a playful and often less intense manner than during the Renaissance and Mannerist periods. A wonderful example of this relaxed style can be seen in Stockholm’s national museum. The Swedish artist Carl Larsson painted six highly colourful fresco panels in the lower staircase and two large-scale murals for the upper staircase. These have been cleverly positioned in locations that help light up and preserve their original colour. The most significant development in mural painting in recent times, however, has been its involvement with major social and political change.

Mural paintings were used to communicate the political ideals of the Russian Revolution in 1917. Artists produced dramatic murals to promote the new political and cultural direction in China following the 1919 May Fourth Movement. These murals were in stark contrast to the tradition of painting revered Buddhist figures in caves along the ancient Silk Road and on monastery walls in Tibet. Among the most famous political muralists of the 20th century were the Mexican social realist painters, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco who portrayed their vision of social justice in the 1920's through fresco painting. Picasso acknowledged the impact of mural painting when he used the technique in 1937 to express his intense anti-war statement in the masterpiece ‘Guernica’.

The motivation behind modern mural painting shifted again when artists united in their efforts to create socially conscious public art in the 1930’s within the USA WPA cultural programme. In Canada, in 1960, York Wilson painted ‘The Seven Lively Arts’, then the largest mural of its kind, for the Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. The tradition of public, socially-responsible mural painting continues.

and today …

In order to appreciate the full breadth of modern wall painting, we should begin by considering the driving forces behind trends in contemporary painting and how these changes will affect this most ancient of art techniques. We begin to understand the reality behind the publicity by looking at the motivation and ambitions of those who commission and create the work.

The greatest contemporary murals are those that truly reflect the times we live in. They draw on modern subject themes to illustrate the spirit and energy of communities across the world. Compelling paintings are created by a persuasive fusion of highly creative artists and visionary patrons. Such partnerships often combine with the influence of local cultures and fashions to create real shifts in style that evolve into tomorrow’s traditions. This transformation combines with the influence of local cultures and fashions to create shifts in style that evolve into tomorrow’s traditions.