A Glorious Tribute to a Rare Classical Art Form
The eruption of Mt. Vesuvious in A.D. 79, witnessed by the Younger Pliny, has preserved for posterity a treasure of early Imperial Roman art and artifacts. Most notable, perhaps, are the wall frescoes of Pompeii and the surrounding towns of Herculaneum, Boscoreale, and Boscotrecase, which have scarcely been mentioned in the ancient literature. This monograph celebrates the Roman frescoes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the largest collection of Roman frescoes outside Italy. A special treat for the visitor is the painstaking reconstruction of a bedroom from a villa at Boscoreale (please see illustration). These wonderful frescoes give us, nearly two millenia later, an in-depth insight to everyday life, ranging from the wild parties Petronius described in the Satyricon to tastefully intimate scenes, as well as scenes from Classical mythology and architectural details.
Dr. Anderson, Director of the Emory University Museum of Art and Archaeology first gives us a background of painting in Rome and Pompeii, covering each of the major styles. The author then goes on to describe in detail the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale and the Imperial Villa at Boscotrecase, each accompanied by an in-depth description of individual frescoes, beautifully reproduced plates of the frescoes, both in their entirety and detail, and oblique floor plans.
This monograph is sure to give anyone interested in Roman art excellent insight to this unique art form.
