Michelangelo's paintings in the Sistine Chapel and Raphael's Stanza murals in the Vatican are the most famous of all frescoes. By the mid-16th century, however, the use of fresco had largely been supplanted by oil painting.

Some of the earliest examples of fresco painting have been traced back to 2000 BC, made by Minoans in Crete, Israel and Egypt to adorn palace walls and tombs, while others date from Bronze Age Greece in 1600 BC.

These paintings are not created from tempera, oil, or acrylic, rather they derive from the most sustainable paint there is; fresco. Fresco painting was the most common technique of painting used during the Italian Renaissance. It is known for its durability and resiliency towards all natural elements.

The most well-known fresco is the Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. Another iconic example of fresco painting is the 13th century masterpiece, Giotto di Bondone's Arena Chapel in Padua, Italy.