Part of a wall painting with relief ornament and painted rosettes (Akrotiri, 1600s BC).The Akrotiri

Part of a wall painting with relief ornament and painted rosettes (Akrotiri, 1600s BC).

The Akrotiri frescoes were preserved by a volcanic eruption sometime around 1500 BC.  They are painted in many different buildings, showing that they weren’t only for the elite.

The interior walls were first covered in smooth lime plaster and then painted, when the plaster was fresh (fresco) or dry (secco/tempera). Paints were mineral-based, and organic materials were used as fixatives.