Digital restoration as a tool for Research: re-creating Roman wall paintings

Digital graphics offer a large number of advantages for ancient wall painting studies; Graphic design softwares allow us to reassemble fragments together, reconstruct incomplete decorations and even recreate a realistic view of what the paintings looked like, even in their context thanks to 3D modelling. The potential of these tools are well imaginable for the enhancement of paintings to the public and for the scientific publication of wall paintings. If made with a scientific attention, using a rigorous methodology, graphic reconstructions can become digital restorations, as long as they follow the same deontological issues of real restoration. The intent of this contribution is to share some thoughts on the difference between graphic reconstruction and digital restoration using several examples from Ostia antica, as well as to show that the latter can be used as a very useful research tool, to understand better ancient wall paintings and especially the work, the gestures and the practices of the painters