Before coming to Italy and taking our classes, I had no idea just how much chemistry was behind some of the most iconic pieces of art. The fresh plaster has calcium hydroxide which reacts with carbon dioxide in the air to form calcium carbonate. This calcium carbonate is the same material found in marble and limestone. The carbonation gradually hardens the plaster, and creates a type of seal over the painted pigments, allowing the piece to last for literally thousands of years.
The key takeaway I had, from making my priceless fresco in class, is just how closely art is related to science, specifically chemistry in this instance. I think engineering education can always benefit from smartly integrating art into it to help encourage creative solutions instead of relying only on technical calculations.
Swanson School of Engineering 