Su un frammento di pittura parietale con fregio nilotico dalla Casa dello Scultore a Pompei: problematiche conservative e restauro

This paper concerns the study and restoration of one of the paintings retrieved from the peristyle of the House of the Sculptor in Pompeii. The artefact was part of a Nilotic frieze and bears the representation of fighting pygmies. During the XXth century, the painting was removed from the original site and submitted to restoration. It was placed on a cement support and a wax layer was applied on the painted surface. The cement panel itself caused one of the major conservation problems as it no longer guaranteed its structural function due to the presence of a series of cracks that weakened it. Another problem was due to the alteration of the wax layer on the surface that prevented the figurative reading of the pictorial film. The intervention consisted in wax removal by comparing different cleaning methods, and in the removal of the cement support. Finally, the painting was positioned on a new suitable support, appropriate for correct conservation.