The Fall of the Rebel Angels (detail) 1530

Domenico Beccafumi likely made this fresco - a painting on fresh plaster - around the 16th century, with a keen eye for the material qualities of pigment and lime. The immediacy of fresco demands quick, decisive brushwork. Notice how the pigment seems almost fused into the wall itself. Beccafumi skillfully exploits the inherent properties of the medium: the granular texture, the subtle variations in tone as the plaster dries, and the way light interacts with the matte surface. These elements contribute to the dramatic intensity of the image. The materials of fresco, while simple, required considerable skill and labor to prepare and execute. The plaster had to be mixed perfectly, the pigments ground and applied with precision, and the artist had to work quickly before the plaster dried. Beccafumi's mastery of these processes elevates the fresco from a mere image to a powerful expression of faith and creativity. It also reminds us that even the most ethereal visions are grounded in the tangible realities of material and making.