A Malibu beach-front retreat built by art collector, designer and antiques dealer Richard Shapiro has “the look, age and aura of a very old, windswept structure from the Mediterranean or the Aegean.” All walls in the house are sheathed in frescoed plaster and partially covered by the Renaissance-style frescoes created by fresco artist iLia Anossov. Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna.

True (buon) fresco—the oldest and most celebrated painting technique—is painting with natural pigments on wet plaster. Paints are prepared from minerals and various clays. Plaster is made of slaked lime (calcium hydrate) and sand. As wet plaster cures a natural reaction occurs permanently embedding pigments into the cured plaster. This artwork is created using true centuries-old fresco techniques and materials.

Unlike faux finishes and fresco imitations, true (buon) frescoes create a unique feeling of authenticity, depth and richness of the artwork. The frescoes can be applied in traditional or contemporary settings: from genuine buon fresco fragments that are aged and worn to match period and style of selected era, to full-sized wall or ceiling frescos whether aged and stylized or fresh and new.

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