photo #7536139

The mysterious Pompeian red: when the fury of Vesuvius changes the colors of artOne of the most evocative and at the same time dramatic effects of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD is the chromatic transformation of the frescoes, still visible today in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The heat from the pyroclastic clouds caused the yellow ocher to turn red, especially in the areas near doors and windows. This phenomenon, visible on many frescoed surfaces, can be interpreted as a real natural "thermometer": the darker the red, the higher the temperature of the pyroclastic cloud that crossed the environment.However, it is important to clarify that the famous "Pompeian red" already existed before the eruption and was a pigment used by Roman artists. Only in a few limited cases, following heat, has this physical-chemical transformation of the ocher pigment occurred.A notable example of this phenomenon can be observed in the House of Polybius, the House of the Four Styles in Pompeii and the Villa of Poppea in Oplontis.(pics and text from "Profumo d'arte"