Wall
murals and mural painting had its earliest prehistoric beginnings
in the caves of Southern France. Fresco (Italian for ‘fresh’)
was a common painting technique in Gothic art and during early
Renaissance. The mural, by virtue of its physical characteristics
(being of large scale on a wall, on permanent public display)
belonged to the people. The enormous murals remaining on church
and wealthy home walls, provides testimony to their popularity.
In
fresco work, artists first spread wet plaster onto the wall.
Then, while the plaster was still wet, the artist applied the
pigment directly onto the plaster – mixing and spreading
it quickly before the plaster dried. The paint became part of
the wall and the painting could not be changed.
Trompe
l’oeil is a centuries-old art form, using painting
techniques and visual devices to “fool the eye.” True
trompe l’oeil is the painted illusion of a three dimensional
object on a flat, two-dimensional surface. It is a style of painting
that gives an illusion of photographic reality. Most often it
was used to represent classical forms in architecture, such as
moldings, bas-relief, columns and capitals.
Murals
are painted works of art applied directly to a wall or ceiling.
They may incorporate trompe l’oeil techniques,
but in addition can be scenic,whimsical, mythical, cartoon or
hobby based. Today, many murals are painted on wallpaper-type
canvas then transported and adhered to the ceiling or wall
with paste.
A necessary ingredient of successful interior decoration is
the element of surprise. Mural work provides the means to transform
vast quarters into dramatic and inviting places, or turn the
small and dank into enchanted spaces. Awkward rooms can be enlivened,
and dark, shadowy corners brought to life.
“From palace to cottage there is always a place for mural
decoration: it can transform darkness into light, the humdrum
into the exotic; it can lift the spirits of the meanest room
and visually transport the occupants into another world.” Author
Graham Rust, “The Painted House”
Useful
Links: Murals
