Story

Homage to Roman civilization, which we understand better thanks to what was the tragedy of Pompeii.

In art history, old Frescoes are described based on the Frescoes found in the Roman villas in Pompeii and Herculaneum, preserved under the ash of the Vesuvius eruption of 79A.D. – an important but fundamentally tragic legacy. What we see helps us understand how they lived, but also their attitude towards murals, decorating the space in which they lived, and Fresco in particular: the technique, the compositions, how they were representing the actors. It is a lesson in Aesthetics, without equivalent in civilization’s history. What we see is that the Frescoes were still considered wall finishes, not art works.

Catalino wanted to draw a conclusion, to use the lesson in history and art history that Pompeii offers. In “Homage to Pompeii”, Catalino does not reproduce what the authors of the Pompeii Frescoes did, but translated it for our times, in a modern approach - expressing, in composition, colour palette and texture, what we understand and can learn from them.