The question of why wall painting is a complex form of painting elicits a number of responses. It has always been the object of people’s advocacy to increase aesthetic value, and as such, aesthetic presentation and completion issues have dominated the treatment of wall paintings throughout the decades. This dichotomy has led to the emergence of several schools of practice, anchored in philosophical and ethical concepts. The current solutions for the problem of presentation and completion range from minimal integration to lost content based on photographic documentation.
The aesthetic treatment of wall paintings depends on the symbolic values of the painting. The aesthetic treatment of wall paintings affects the values projected to the viewer. They may be viewed as a decoration for the interior, an historical document, or a narrative. Most paintings embody multiple values, and the process of prioritizing these values is highly complex. Factors such as the appearance and authorship of a painting, as well as its age, can all influence how it is treated.
Aesthetic treatments of wall paintings are highly complex and difficult to standardize, and they differ from country to country. As a result, there is no set aesthetic treatment of wall paintings. However, some historical examples can be used as a guide for contemporary practices. The medieval period in Denmark provides some excellent examples of wall paintings. These are often the only examples of this type of paintings, and they were created in a time of heightened awareness of aesthetics.
