Exceptional Roman Fresco of a Gorgon

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About the Item

An exquisite, remarkably well-preserved Roman polychrome fresco wall painting, circa 1st century AD. Depicting a Gorgon head framed by two entwined snakes on a diamond-shaped medallion, set between trailing tendrils, a border of overlapping circles above. Provenance: From a European collection formed in the nineteenth century or earlier, based on the custom-made tooled leather box. Compare another fragment kept in a case of similar manufacture and with a label reading ‘Fragment de Pompéi provenant de la vente Préat 1868’, Sotheby's New York, 12 December 2013, Antiquities sale, lot 84. Subsequently with Mitsukoshi department store, Nihonbashi, Tokyo, by 1974. Probably exhibited as part of the International Art exhibition series between 1974 and 1978, cf. exhibition photographs. Wall painting is the best-preserved form of Roman painting. Aimed at decorating and making well-to-do homes more comfortable, wall painting was a ubiquitous visual element of the lives of the Roman élite and proves an unparalleled resource for the study of their artistic tastes and concerns. Wall painters from Rome probably worked around the Italian peninsula, travelling with models and copybooks. Their biggest inspirations were Greek art and mythology. They often copied now-lost famous Hellenistic paintings, allowing rich patrons to create their own private galleries. Artistic techniques for the painting of walls were described by Vitruvius (d. 15 BC) in De Architectura, and Pliny the Elder (d. AD 79) in Naturalis Historia. The majority of surviving examples come from the southern Italian region of Campania, as they were preserved following the eruption of the Vesuvius in AD 79. Previously under Samnite control, Campania was fully integrated in the Roman Republic by the end of the fourth century BC and its affluence matched that of Rome, notably thanks to the port of Puteoli. At Campania’s heart lies the Bay of Naples, an area reputed in ancient times for its beauty and abundance, and where, from the end of the Republic, the Roman élite built luxurious seaside homes. These were political assets for their owners, allowing them to develop their networks of friends and political dependents. Owning property in the Bay of Naples was also a way of getting closer to the Imperial family, as numerous emperors sojourned in the region. As a result, the Bay of Naples was as a result at the forefront of artistic developments, and artistic patronage was particularly dynamic there. The development of Roman wall painting has been divided into four chronological, and sometimes overlapping, styles. The first century AD was dominated by the Third and Fourth styles which are characterised by rich ornamental details, making them highly decorative. Candelabra and arabesques of metalwork and vegetal motifs were used extensively. Painters also favoured mythological figures for their decorative qualities. The Gorgon mask, or gorgoneion, was probably the most recurrent ancient demon image. The Gorgons were three sisters whose hair was made of living snakes and who could turn onlookers into stone: the most famous was Medusa, killed by the Greek hero Perseus.

Creation Year:
AD 50
Dimensions:
Height: 7.09 in (18 cm)Diameter: 4.73 in (12 cm)
Period:
15th Century and Earlier
Condition:
Gallery Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU135726002012