Originally, it simply indicated a red ochre deriving from the name of the city, Sinope in Pontus (Asia Minor), where it was found according to the testimony of Pliny. Cennino Cennini documents the use of sinopia for creating a drawing on the arricciato (v.) for the preparation of a fresco painting. From the 1950's, parallel to the campaign to remove frescoes from walls and to the consequential discovery of a large number of mural drawings, the term sinopia has become synonymous with these drawings, even if they were executed in colours other than red.