VI.5.13 Pompeii. Casa di Modesto or House of Modestus.

Linked to VI.5.12. Excavated 1808, 1836.

According to Fiorelli –

VI.5.13 – “La quale ha il lungo protiro costeggiato dall’anzidetta bottega, e dall’altra lato la cucina, nonche la cella penaria, cui e addossato un cubicolo con ingresso dall’atrio ch’e displuviato, ed ha nel mezzo un sito per la coltivazione di pochi fiori: stavano qui due dipinti, une rappresentyante Ulisse in atto di difendersi da Circe, le cui compagne fuggono spaventate, l’altro Achille riconosciuto da Ulisse nella corte di Licomede. Eravi inoltre addossata al muro una scalinata, con armadio sottoposto. Il tablino che ha d’appresso un cubicolo, serba ancora benche molto danneggiati due quadretti, l’uno con Frisso ed Elle, l’altro con Adone ferito, ed ha piu figure in mezzo ad ornati architettonici, credute dal Helbig personificazioni del tempo (979,994, 1000).”

See Fiorelli, G: Descrizione di Pompei, (p.99-100)

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore, (p.54-55).

(translation - This had a long entrance corridor adjacent to the bar next door, and with the kitchen on the other side, as well as a small room/storeroom, which was next to a bedroom with a doorway from the atrium, which was displuviate, and in the middle had a site for growing a few flowers: here there were two paintings, one showing Ulysses, the other Achilles recognized by Ulysses at the Court of Lycomedes. Also leaning against the atrium wall was a staircase, with a cupboard below. The tablinum, which had a bedroom nearby, preserved two paintings although they were very damaged, one of Phrixus and Elle, the other with the injured Adonis, and more figures in the middle of the architectural decoration, believed by Helbig to be personifications of time (979, 994 and 1000).

VI.5.13 Pompeii. 1824 plan by Mazois.

See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei: Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot, pl. XI, fig. II.

See PAH, I, 3, 16, 15 mar 1809: and PAH, I, 3, 17-18, 25 mar and 8 apr 1809.

According to Dyer, this would have been a middle-class house, having an atrium but no peristyle.

The atrium 2 was “displuviatum”: that is, the roof instead of sloping down to the four-sides of the square opening in the middle of it, and thus throwing the rainwater into the impluvium (or the basin below), slanted away from it towards the sides of the house, and thus threw the rainwater outside instead of inside.

There were rooms on each side of the prothyrum (or entrance corridor) 1, which was very long for the size of the house.

The larger room (10), on the left (see VI.5.12), was evidently a shop (or bar) as it had a stone counter in it.

As it was connected with the interior of the house, it was no doubt kept by the same proprietor.

The smaller rooms (8) and (9) on the other side of the entrance corridor were probably used as a kitchen and a small room, possibly for the slave who acted as porter or door-keeper.

On the further side of the atrium were two rooms (6) and (7) which were handsomely decorated.

Their use cannot be certainly determined, but one of them probably served as a dining-room.

On the left-hand side of the atrium was a flight of stairs (5) leading to two rooms on the upper floor.

Notwithstanding its small size, this house was very beautiful and tastefully decorated with paintings, the subjects of which were taken from Greek mythology, and from Homer’s Odyssey.

They have now perished, but they were perfect in 1812 when seen by Mazois, who made copies of them.

One of them represented Ulysses drawing his sword upon Circe to avenge his companions transformed by the enchantress.

Circe is using the supplicatory gesture so frequently described in the Greek poets, by falling on her knees and endeavouring to clasp with one hand the knee of Ulysses, while she stretches out the other to touch his beard.

Her head is surrounded with a nimbus, or glory, which appears like a plate of solid gold, resembling that seen around the heads of saints in early Christian pictures.

Another painting represented Ulysses discovering Achilles at Skyros among the daughters of Lycomedes.

See Dyer, T., 1867. The Ruins of Pompeii. London: Bell and Daldy, p. 75-76.

VI.5.13 Pompeii, on left. September 2004.      Vicolo di Mercurio looking east.                            VI.6, on right.

VI.5.13 Pompeii. December 2005. Entrance doorway, looking north.

VI.5.13 Pompeii. September 2004. Looking north along entrance corridor leading to atrium.

On the right is the doorway into the kitchen and latrine.

VI.5.13 Pompeii. September 2004. Looking north across atrium towards rear rooms.

According to Bonucci,

“The room on the left would have been a bedroom; the larger one on the right was the tablinum, which was also forced to serve as the dining room, because no other triclinium was found.

Found in the tablinum which was paved in mosaic, the remains of a painting representing Phryxus and Helle, above two figures, one standing the other seated, and higher still a pretty stucco moulding”.

See Bonucci, C, 1827. Pompei descritta, p. 103.

According to Breton, “At the rear of the tablinum, paved in mosaic, was an almost erased painting which represented Phryxus and Helle”.

See Breton, Ernest. 1855. Pompeia, decrite et dessine: Seconde edition . Paris, Baudry, p. 256-7.

According to Fiorelli, found in the atrium were two paintings.

One showed Ulysses and Circe, the other Achilles being recognised by Ulysses at the court of Lycomedes.

In the tablinum, two badly damaged paintings were found. One of Phryxus and Helle, the other of Adonis wounded.

There were also figures in the middle of the ornately painted architecture, Helbig’s numbers 979, 994, 1001.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p54)

According to Helbig, found in the atrium were Odysseus (Ulysses) and Circe (1329), Achilles at Skyros, (1299), and Seasons (979, 994 and 1001)

In the tablinum, Phryxus 1252, and Adonis, 343, were found, and above was Hermes 360b,

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel.

According to Jashemski, Fiorelli thought that the atrium had a space in the middle for growing plants.

She said that Overbeck-Mau thought the planting beds were in the top of a low wall that enclosed the impluvium.

There were two cistern mouths near the impluvium.

See Jashemski, W. F., 1993. The Gardens of Pompeii, Volume II: Appendices. New York: Caratzas. (p.126)

According to Mazois, the beauty of the paintings that one had already remarked upon, the choice of painting subjects borrowed from the Odyssey, or more cheerful mythology, the boxes of flowers arranged around the impluvium, announced that the person who dwelt here had some affluence, a cultivated mind, and graceful taste. Unfortunately the paintings that decorated the atrium fell in ruins just at the moment Mazois was preparing to draw them. He could only copy two paintings, which he included in his following vignettes.

See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei: Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot. (p.48, Pl IX. figs. II and IV).

VI.5.13 Pompeii, also entered at VI.17.36 and VI.17.25, Pompeii. Pre-September 1859.

Painting by Zahn of wall of house with central red panel with painting of Phrixus and Helle.

Sitting at the top of the same panel Minerva can be seen sitting on a throne.

The sides panels were yellow and the zoccolo was black.

See Zahn, W., 1852-59. Die schönsten Ornamente und merkwürdigsten Gemälde aus Pompeji, Herkulanum und Stabiae: III. Berlin: Reimer, taf. 96.

Someone has written in pencil in the lower right corner, Reg. VI.1.36? Casa di Modesto.

According to Eristov – Maison de Modeste, VI.5.13, Tablinum [7].

This painting was probably from the east wall of the tablinum.

(Subsistent les lignes de partition et quelques fantômes. La corniche de stuc est conservée sur la moitie droite du mur du fond (nord) qui obéissait au même schéma.

Le socle était sans doute noir (0.38), la zone médiane rouge au centre, jaune latéralement (i.53), les échappes fermées par des plaques rouges, la zone supérieure blanche (0.87).

L’iconographie des tableaux assure l’identification de la pièce, confirmée par une photo Warscher, les mesures de la planche des Ornati permettant d’affirmer qu’il s’agit du mur est.

Du point de vue architectural cette pièce au mur du fond totalement fermée s’écarte de l’aspect habituel du tablinum.)

See Eristov, H. Atrium, Tablinum, Ala : enquête sur quelques décors pompéiens disparus. (p.187-193) in Proceedings of the Fifth International Congress on Ancient Wall Painting, edited by Eric M. Moorman (Functional and Spatial Analysis of Wall Painting).

VI.5.13 Pompeii. 1824 cross section by Mazois, looking north across atrium towards rear rooms.

See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei: Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot, pl. XI, fig. IV.

VI.5.13 Pompeii. 1824 drawing of painting of Ulysses threatening Circe, from atrium, now lost.

See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei: Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot. (Pl. 43)

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (1329)

VI.5.13 Pompeii. 1824 drawing of painting of Achilles on Skyros, from the atrium.

See Mazois, F., 1824. Les Ruines de Pompei: Second Partie. Paris: Firmin Didot. (Pl. 43)

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (1299).

VI.5.13 Pompeii. 1838 painting by F. Morelli of atrium wall.

See Gli ornati delle pareti ed i pavimenti delle stanze dell'antica Pompei incisi in rame: 1838, p. 6, pl. 67.

VI.5.13 Pompeii. 1852. Painting of atrium wall showing positions of other paintings.

See Zahn, W., 1852. Die schönsten Ornamente und merkwürdigsten Gemälde aus Pompeji, Herkulanum und Stabiae: III. Berlin: Reimer. (T: 44).

VI.5.13 Pompeii. Drawing of paintings of summer, autumn and winter from the atrium.

See Reinach S., 1922. Répertoire de peintures grecques et romaines. Paris Leroux. (p. 136, 11-13).

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. (979, 994, 1001)

VI.5.13 Pompeii. Late 19th century painting of atrium wall, centre part.

In the upper centre panel is the painting of Ulysses threatening Circe.

VI.5.13 Pompeii. 1837. Painting by Zahn of the flying figure of Autumn.

This was one of the Seasons that would have been seen on the atrium wall.

According to Zahn, this was discovered on 31st March 1837 in the presence of the Grand Duke Michel of Russia.

See Zahn, W., 1842-44. Die schönsten Ornamente und merkwürdigsten Gemälde aus Pompeji, Herkulanum und Stabiae: II. Berlin: Reimer, taf. 47.

VI.5.13 Pompeii. Between 1819 and 1832, drawings by W. Gell, described by him as from “House of a Thermopolite opposite Modestus.”

Also written on the drawing “In this house the ascent to the upper storey was by 15 steps, some of the paintings of the upper rooms remains.”

See Gell, W. Pompeii unpublished [Dessins de l'édition de 1832 donnant le résultat des fouilles post 1819 (?)] vol II, pl. 76.

Bibliothèque de l'Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art, collections Jacques Doucet, Identifiant numérique Num MS180 (2).

See book in INHA Use Etalab Licence Ouverte

According to CTP, the House of the Thermopolite was VI.5.14.

See Van der Poel, H. B., 1983. Corpus Topographicum Pompeianum, Part II. Austin: University of Texas. (p.185).