Fresco Depicting Cupid holding Two Sticks and a Pail

This fresco is reconstructed from twelve fragments, and shows a nude Cupid holding two wands in one hand and a pail (situla) in the other. An octagonal frame surrounds the winged messenger of love. 

Fresco painting was one of the most popular methods of wall decoration in ancient Rome. A wall would first be covered with fresh plaster. Pigments were then dissolved in water and applied to the wet plaster. The combination of minerals in the pigment and carbon dioxide in the air created a solid surface upon drying. Ancient fresco painting yields colorful, enduring works of art, which crack due to the settling of building walls.