Timeless wonder, Painting on Stone in Rome in the Cinquecento and Seicento.During the 16th and 17th century, the discussion on the durability of artworks had become part of the debate on comparison of the arts, opposing the merits of sculpture to those of painting. The sculptors used coloured marbles and painters paint on stone (slate, lapis lazuli, paesina stone, etc.), while metals and precious woods contribute to the creation of extraordinary objects, such as small altars, cabinets, and clocks, with complex architectural