Peintures et stucs d’époque romaine. Études toichographologiques

This 15th volume of the AFPMA series Pictor brings together the proceedings of the association’s 35th conference, held in Chartres in November 2024.

The city of Chartres—ancient Autricum—has yielded numerous Roman wall paintings that were documented and sampled at an early stage. Since 2017, a collective research programme has undertaken the study of this rich corpus. The Chartres conference provided an opportunity to present some of its findings, including studies of small batches of fragments, reassessments of earlier research, syntheses about graffiti and materials, as well as conservation and restoration projects. One contribution focuses on the restoration of the exceptionally rich decorative ensemble from the site of Casanova, the inauguration of which was one of the conference highlights.

While the pictorial productions of Chartres occupy a central place in the volume, recent research has also brought to light numerous new discoveries from other urban centres in Gaul and the Germanic provinces. Cities already well known for their Roman wall paintings—such as Narbonne, Périgueux, Soissons, Martigny, Saint-Romain-en-Gal and Lyon—have seen their corpora further enriched. Less frequently attested contexts of discovery are also represented, beyond domestic settings, including the cult area of Briga, the temples of Vieil-Évreux and the hospitalia of Baden. In rural contexts, several villae have yielded fragmentary painted plasters, as at Keradennec in Finistère, Le Magny at Port-sur-Saône (Franche-Comté) and Les Cléons at Haute-Goulaine (Loire-Atlantique).

Hispania is once again well represented, enabling further exploration of the distinctive features of pictorial production in this province. Several series of network-pattern decorations from Spain (Tarragona) and Portugal (Boca do Rio and Faro) are presented, while the Second Style in the province is examined through paintings recovered in secondary use within construction fills for the building of amphitheatres at Segóbriga and Ategua. A specific decorative fashion characteristic of the second century in the Ebro valley is also highlighted.

The volume also includes several iconographic investigations addressing a range of themes: the motif of scales, the representation of women in wall painting in Hispania, and the depiction of jewellery.

Finally, techniques of execution and methods of analysis continue to occupy a central place within the discipline. Several contributions examine the materials and techniques involved in the preparation and application of painted plasters, including both mortars and pigments. From the perspective of analytical approaches, the contributions of experimental archaeology, archival research and multispectral imaging are emphasised, illustrating the diversity and complementarity of the sources and tools now available for the study of Roman wall painting and stucco.