From about 1,000 to 100 B.C., the Etruscans thrived in central Italy, where they built a prosperous culture based on trade with Greece. Much of their art, like the murals in the Tomb of Hunting and Fishing, was dedicated to decorating burial sites.
Like the Egyptians, the Etruscans believed death was a passage to the afterlife. Sculptures and paintings, like those found in the Tomb of Hunting and Fishing, were meant to comfort the dead and help them adjust to the transition.
Technically, the murals in the Tomb of Hunting and Fishing are traditional frescoes created by applying tempera colors to a wall coat of wet plaster. Thematically, the murals show a wide outdoor panorama with man as an element, and nature as the dominant force. They also display scenes filled with color and movement during a time when art was often calm and static.