Hephaistos or Vulcan in classical myth, cheated on by Aphrodite/Venus, and as creator of Pandora. In Bosch’s Last Judgement, and elsewhere.
Batten
Painting onto dry plaster using ‘secco’ isn’t durable, so ‘buon fresco’ was devised to apply paint to wet plaster instead. The technique is complex, painstaking, and resulted in the death of some of its exponents.
The original Greek myth was almost unknown in paintings until the mid-19th century, then, slightly changed, it became one of the most popular myths in paintings.
Many of the greatest and most important European works of art are painted on walls or ceilings. Explains secco, fresco, and how they influence the result.
The depiction of Pandora opening her box and unleashing all its ills on the world remained popular, with paintings by Alma-Tadema, Bouguereau, Waterhouse, Rackham, Redon, and others.
The Eclectic Light Company 