VIII.2.18 Pompeii. House, part of Sarno Baths (Terme del Sarno).
Linked to VIII.2.20. First excavated 1826.
Other parts of the baths: VIII.2.17 VIII.2.18 VIII.2.19 VIII.2.20 VIII.2.21
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. December 2006. Entrance doorway.
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. September 2005. Doorway and south side of entrance corridor.
According to PPM –
“The walls of the vestibule were in “opus reticulatum” of excellent workmanship, and with brick door-jambs.
The walls were decorated in the IV Style with a high red zoccolo/plinth/dado painted with panels bordered in a “carpet” design edged with triangles.
The middle areas of the walls were painted black. The mosaic flooring was of large black tiles/tesserae.”
See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. VIII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p.115, no.34)
South side of atrium with doorway to VIII.2.20. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. September 2005. South side of atrium with doorway to VIII.2.20.
The mosaic flooring of the atrium was also of large black tiles/tessere, but with added white tiles/tessere.
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. According to Niccolini this is a painting from Level 1, atrium 4, north wall.
Mau in 1890 identified it as Bellerophon receiving the fatal letter from a priest, from the centre of the north wall.
Sogliano in 1893 argued it was Hermes, Argo and Io, and from the centre of the north wall.
Koloski Ostrow considered the presence of the majestic horse, perhaps Pegasus, made Mau’s interpretation more plausible.
See Koloski Ostrow, A., 1990. The Sarno Bath Complex. Roma: L’Erma di Bretschneider, page 111, plate 60.
See Niccolini F,
1896. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei:
Volume Quarto. Napoli. (p.56-7 and Tav. XIX.)
See Mau in Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza
Archeologica (DAIR), 05, 1890, (p.116-7).
See Sogliano in Notizie
degli Scavi di Antichità, 1893,
(p.38-40).
Looking west along north side of atrium, from entrance corridor. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. October 2020. Looking west from entrance corridor. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. April 2019.
Looking west from entrance corridor towards tablinum. Photo
courtesy of Rick Bauer.
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. December 2004. Looking west across impluvium in atrium, towards tablinum.
According to PPM –
“The reservoir of the impluvium is evident although it was found already stripped of its marble facings: in the black mosaic floor the border
with a “white mosaic weave” was no longer preserved.” (p.122, no. 45).
“The north wall of the tablinum which preserved traces of
painted decoration, already scarcely visible at the time of its excavation, is
even more bare now after the 1980 earthquake.” (p.122, no.46).
See Carratelli,
G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e
Mosaici: Vol. VIII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, p. 122, nos. 45, 46.
According to Sogliano
–
“The atrium was without rooms to the sides, and only had the tablinum facing the entrance corridor.
The tablinum had floor and a high zoccolo/dado (1.35m high) of coloured marble. Today there are only a few traces of marble decoration.
The plaster of the walls had a yellow background; and on the north wall still remains the lower section of a painting (0.55m max. high x 1.50m wide).
There you could see the legs of a male figure sitting in the middle, with two spears next to him, and the legs of Hermes with winged shoes and with his right foot resting on a stone, to which was also rested a pole/rod with the lower end turned.
Behind the seated figure, one could barely distinguish the remains of another figure in a long robe.
Prof. Mau (BdI, cit V, p.117) thought perhaps it showed the Judgement of Paris: I believe instead that it is more likely that the painting represents the well-known scene of Hermes, Argo and Io.
It was noted that the lower edge of this painting was at the height of 2.45m from the floor; the walls of the tablinum would have had the same considerable height as the walls of the atrium. Below the described fragment, almost a zoccolo/dado, was a painting on which chariots with running Cupids were painted, on a black background.
Last but not least, I do not want to omit that in this tablinum as in the atrium itself were observed on the walls traces of a considerable fire.”
See Sogliano in Notizie
degli Scavi di Antichità, 1893,
(p.40).
According to PPM –
“North wall of tablinum – the zoccolo was faced with slabs of marble, which the imprints could be seen in the mortar, documented in 1977 and completely fallen by 1981.
The middle zone of the wall was on a yellow background showing in the middle a painting whose lower margin was found at 2.45m from the floor, indicating a notable height of the walls.
Of the subject shown remains only the lower part with the feet of people amongst whom one recognised a seated male figure whose legs remain, and next to which are two spears; behind him one could just see a figure in a long robe, evidently female and finally on the right the legs of a Hermes with winged sandals and with his right foot resting on a stone to which also rests the end of a rod/pole.
The scene had been interpreted as “Judgement of Paris (Mau in RM, 1890, p.117) or as “Io, Argo and Hermes” (Sogliano in NS, 1893, p.40), but the only certain figure was that of the god recognisable by his winged sandals.
Below this painting was a black painted predella with a painted scene of a chariot race between cupids”.
See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. VIII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p.125-6, no.47).
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. c.1831-32. Painting by Questel, possibly showing north wall of tablinum.
See
Charles-Auguste Questel (1807-1888) Voyage en Italie et Sicile. Août 1831 - novembre
1832, pl. 108.
INHA identifiant numérique : NUM MS 512. Document placé sous « Licence Ouverte / Open Licence » Etalab
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. Undated drawing by Lesueur, possibly showing south/west wall of tablinum.
See Lesueur,
Jean-Baptiste Ciceron. Voyage en Italie de Jean-Baptiste Ciceron Lesueur
(1794-1883), pl. 98.
See Book on INHA référence INHA NUM PC 15469 (04) « Licence Ouverte / Open Licence » Etalab
VIII.2.18-21 Pompeii. Plan drawn in BdI, 1890.
See Bullettino
dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 05, 1890, Tav.
5,2.
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. Plan drawn in BdI, 1890, showing the area on level 4.
Room 7 on above plan is the apodyterium, or waiting room, also described as frigidarium, no.53, with the plunge pool at the north end, no.54.
Room 8 is the tepidarium.
Room 9 is the caldarium.
See Bullettino dell’Instituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica (DAIR), 05, 1890, Tav. 6,1 (plan), p.130-138, (for description of rooms).
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. 1896. Frigidarium 54 on level 4, north wall.
See Niccolini F, 1896. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei: Volume Quarto. Napoli. NS Tav. 12.
See Mau in BdI, 05, 1890, (p.129-30 and following) for description.
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. 1961. Frigidarium 54, the plunge pool on level 4, detail of remains of west end of north wall.
In the upper right is one of the pediment feet shown in the 1896 Niccolini painting.
The blueish band in the middle is the western half of the landscape panel.
Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.
Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.
J61f0805
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. 1896. Frigidarium 54 on level 4, detail of landscape from west end of north wall.
See Niccolini F, 1896. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei: Volume Quarto. Napoli. NS Tav. 12.
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. 1961. Frigidarium 54 on level 4, detail of landscape from west end of north wall.
Photo by Stanley A. Jashemski.
Source: The Wilhelmina and Stanley A. Jashemski archive in the University of Maryland Library, Special Collections (See collection page) and made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial License v.4. See Licence and use details.
J61f0805
Items that can still be made out are the tapering canopy on the right, with the circular tower and trees to its left.
The figure with its hands raised is in the centre.
See Koloski Ostrow, A., 1990. The Sarno Bath Complex. Roma: L’Erma di Bretschneider, pl. 96 and 102.
VIII.2.17-20 Pompeii. 1896. Level 4, painted stucco decoration from apodyterium 50 and frigidarium 53.
Top left: Apodyterium 50 north wall.
Top right: Frigidarium 53 above east wall just north of supporting arch. Ceiling stucco of the Rape of Hylas.
Bottom left: Frigidarium 53 ceiling stucco above east wall just south of supporting arch.
Bottom right: Frigidarium 53 ceiling stucco above east wall south end.
See Niccolini F, 1896. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei: Volume Quarto. Napoli. NS Tav. 11.
See Koloski Ostrow, A., 1990. The Sarno Bath Complex. Roma: L’Erma di Bretschneider, plates 105-9.
VIII.2.18 Pompeii. Two decorations which, according to Niccolini, were both from this house.
See Niccolini F, 1896. Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei: Volume Quarto. Napoli. Tav. VII.
(note: these had already been entered in VIII.2.26, upper drawing, and VIII.2.30, lower drawing).
According to PPM –
VIII.2.26, triclinium 6:
Niccolini's panel reconstructs the scheme of the decoration of the vault with a combination of lozenges, triangles and squares outlined in red and yellow on a black background to obtain a design of stars within dodecagons. Palmettes and small corolla with four petals, in the centre of the geometric elements, complete the decoration.
See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. VIII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p.224, no.64).
VIII.2.30, triclinium 17 on the first lower floor, north wall:
With the exception of the zoccolo/dado/plinth painted in black, the walls and vault of this room were uniformly painted yellow with a network of swastika meanders and red squares which unfolded continuously on all the surfaces.
See Carratelli, G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e Mosaici: Vol. VIII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p.260, photograph no.37)
Niccolini's panel proposes a detail of the continuous decoration of this environment with the faithful restitution of the colours and the detail of the four-petal rosette in the squares.
See Carratelli,
G. P., 1990-2003. Pompei: Pitture e
Mosaici: Vol. VIII. Roma: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, (p.261, no. 38)
Other parts of the baths: VIII.2.17 VIII.2.18 VIII.2.19 VIII.2.20 VIII.2.21