Pigments and binders in Pompeian four styles wall paintings.

Pompeii's archaeological site is of utmost importance for the study of ancient remains of great historical and scientifi c relevance [Saiz-Jimenez C., 2003]. However, very few studies have been performed on the constituent materials of ancient paintings whose characterization is fundamental for the understanding of the artists painting techniques. Moreover, these analyses should provide useful suggestions for the selection of suitable conservation treatments to assure their preservation and transfer to future generations. Given the complexity of their molecular components, the analysis of ancient painting samples is a very challenging task and requires the integration of several scientifi c and humanistic disciplines. In this contest, the study of wall painting samples from a relevant archaeological site might furnish such opportunity. In particular, the comparison of binders composition employed by artists over the time might be helpful to understand changes in the painting technique. Here, we have applied an experimental strategy for the analysis of pigments and binders (polar and non-polar) of Pompeian mural painting unearthed in the archaeological area of Marcus Fabius Rufus house, Insula Occidentalis, and classifi ed as representative of the fi rst, second, third and fourth painting styles.