JOHN W. BRADLEY was born in Birmingham in 1956. He graduated with a degree in Construction and Economics before embarking on a thirty year career in the construction industry primarily in London and the Middle East. During the 1990s he was also involved in environmental politics using his background in industry to challenge the conventional rationale behind many of today's political and economic decisions. Changing profession in 2005 Dr Bradley gained a first-class degree and Masters in Classics at Royal Holloway College, University of London with dissertations on early Christian art and republican Roman religion. In 2011 he commenced his PhD at the same college, initially under the supervision of Professor Amanda Claridge then Dr Zena Kamash. An initial project on the broader aspects of the evolution of art in the catacombs of Rome ultimately focused on the frescoes that make up the subject of this book when existing theories and explanations appeared unsatisfactory. In addition to his interest in the art of ancient Rome his interests include classical music, military history and environmentalism.

He has lived in Brentford, west London for thirty years where he shares a home and allotment with his wife Susan.