VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. Casa dei Capitelli colorati or Casa di Arianna

or House of Ariadne or House of the Coloured Capitals.

Linked to VII.4.32, VII.4.33 and VII.4.51. Excavated 1822, 1832 and 1846.

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VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 19, leading to room 20.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 19, small anteroom on south side of room 20.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. March 2009. Rooms 19 and 20, remains of mosaic floor.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii but shown as VII.4.57 on photo. Pre-1937-39.

Looking north-west across middle peristyle towards north wall of room 20, on left.

Doorway to room 21, in centre.

Photo courtesy of American Academy in Rome, Photographic Archive. Warsher collection no. 1462.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. March 2009. Doorway to room 20, looking towards north wall.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 20, north wall of oecus.

According to PPM, the painting in the centre of the north wall would have been a mythological painting.

This painting was not cut from the wall because it was very deteriorated at the time when it was found.

It had been described by Mau (BdI, 1875, pp.237-238), the theme shown was Danae holding Perseus by the hand, on the island of Seriphos, in the presence of some fishermen. The painting appears to have never been drawn.

See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici Vol. VI. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, p. 1046.

According to Warscher, the painting in the middle of the north wall was of Helios and Rhodos.

See Warscher, T. 1942. Catalogo illustrato degli affreschi del Museo Nazionale di Napoli. Sala LXXXII. Vol.4. Rome, Swedish Institute (and below).

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 20, north-west corner of oecus.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 20, west wall of oecus. The central wall painting was removed to Naples Museum.

It showed Ariadne being discovered by Dionysus on the island of Naxos. (Inventory number 9278).

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii.  Room 20, west wall of oecus. 

Wall painting of Dionysus discovering the sleeping Ariadne on the island of Naxos.

Dionysus stands in the centre holding a thyrsus and with a look of wonderment on his face. 

Ariadne sleeps at the knees of Hypnos. 

A cupid draws back part of the robe covering Ariadne and points. 

An old Silenus supports himself with a staff and is being helped by one of the procession of satyrs and maenads.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel.  (1237).

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 9278.

Kuivalainen comments –

“The composition is divided into three events, from the awakening Ariadne to an admiring Bacchus and to old Silenus trying to get up to share in the scene.”

See Kuivalainen, I., 2021. The Portrayal of Pompeian Bacchus. Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum 140. Helsinki: Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, p.149, E11.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. Room 20, west wall. Drawing by N. La Volpe of painting of Ariadne abandoned on Naxos.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 621.

Photo © ICCD. https://www.catalogo.beniculturali.it

Utilizzabili alle condizioni della licenza Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Condividi allo stesso modo 2.5 Italia (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5 IT)

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 20, south wall of oecus. 

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. Pre-1943. Painting of Helios and Rhodos.

Conserved in part and taken to Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 9537.

Helbig and PPM write that this painting was from the south wall.

Whereas. according to Warscher, it was from the middle of the north wall.

See Warscher, T. 1942. Catalogo illustrato degli affreschi del Museo Nazionale di Napoli. Sala LXXXII. Vol.4. Rome, Swedish Institute.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. Drawing by Abbate of Helios and Rhodos, but according to Niccolini it could be “of Apollo”.

See Niccolini F, 1854. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei: Volume Primo. Napoli, (Casa dei Capitelli Colorati, Tav III).

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. Room 20, south wall of oecus. Drawing by Giuseppe Marsigli, 1833, showing Helios and Rhodos.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number ADS 620.

Photo © ICCD. https://www.catalogo.beniculturali.it/

Utilizzabili alle condizioni della licenza Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Condividi allo stesso modo 2.5 Italia (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5 IT)

This painting was detached from the south wall and taken to Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 9537.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, (969).

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 20, north-east corner of oecus. 

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 20, mosaic floor in north-east corner of oecus.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. c.1930. Room 20, central emblema of flooring of oecus showing a simple but effective pattern of circles and peltae.

See Blake, M., (1930). The pavements of the Roman Buildings of the Republic and Early Empire. Rome, MAAR, 8, (p. 108, 118 & Pl.39, tav.1).

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 20, remains of decorative border on east wall of oecus.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. March 2009. Room 20, doorway in east wall of oecus, looking east across middle peristyle.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. May 2012. Looking south-east across middle peristyle. Photo courtesy of Marina Fuxa.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. May 2012. Detail of columns in middle peristyle, looking south. Photo courtesy of Marina Fuxa.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. May 2012. Looking south across middle peristyle. Photo courtesy of Marina Fuxa.

VII.4.31/51 Pompeii. Photograph by M. Amodio, from an album dated April 1878.

Looking south across middle peristyle. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

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