How The Life Of Ancient Pompeii And Herculaneum Is Demonstated In Artworks
The various styles of artwork that lay buried beneath the aftermath of the 79AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius, hold the key to understanding the complex lives of the Roman people that lived in the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Art reveals many different things about civilisations, how they lived within their era, their understanding of themselves and their community and have been heralded by historian Pamela Bradley as ‘invaluable sources of everyday life’.
The main types of artworks uncovered in the Pompeii region are; mosaics, wall paintings and sculptures, which are central to discovering the lives of the citizens that once inhabited the area. Mosaics are classified as artworks created using different coloured tesserae of stone, glass, or other material, that are arranged into patterns and located both inside and outside buildings. Through the history of the Pompeii region, three movements of mosaics are visible; geometric, figurative, and mythological. Archaeologist Andrew Wallace-Hadrill states that mosaics ‘allowed… a social orientation’ to the viewer. Wall paintings offer a different view of the lives of ancient Romans, particularly frescoes. True frescoes, or buon frescoes, can be differentiated by the paint being placed directly onto wet lime plaster. Much like mosaics, frescoes feature bold designs captured both inside and outside buildings. Frescoes utilise the technique Trompe-l’oeil to create a panoramic effect giving the work depth and can be classified into four distinct styles due to the sheer number found within the cities. In addition, sculptures also conveyed ideas of the lives of Romans. Sculptures were made from either bronze or marble, and ranged from life-sized to tiny figurines. Marble sculptures were painted in antiquity, with bright pigments and were often placed in the home or in gardens.
Art within Pompeii and Herculaneum have been excavated since roughly the 16th century. The first large scale excavation occurred within the 18th century and was motivated by the desire to collect ancient art. Both sites captured the attention of early art historians who wished to uncover the meaning behind the great works. Since the time of their excavation archaeologists have been fighting to restore and preserve the works that have been uncovered. The main factors affecting artworks are; the presence of salts, biological invasion, external environmental factors, vandalism and tourism, as well as the exposure of the works. Several steps are undertaken to restore the art, in wall painting particularly restoration is undertaken by surveying the surrounding environment for immediate threats, observing the materials, examining the stratigraphy, photographing and then restoring. All restorative work must be done in a way that is reversible and as close to the original as possible. Works also need protecting, which often takes the form of creating roofs over walls suffering from damage. An example where this took place is in Ariadne ́s house, Pompeii.
Evidence for how frescoes were completed is visible through the work within the House of the Painters at Work, Pompeii. The frescoes in this house are unique in the fact that they are unfinished allowing archaeologists and historians to view how these works were completed. Work began from the top-down, as works from the top till the dado (midpoint) had been completed. This work was being completed as a true fresco, which requires wet plaster. Not seen in this work but in a variety of others are pressure marks were damp cloths were placed to the walls to keep the plaster wet. Sketches were done onto the walls in yellow ochre, and chemical analysis reveals the paint colours to be red, black, white, blue, yellow, green, orange which created up to 15 shades. Evidence suggests two separate binding agents were used to create the paint (egg or water). Moreover, due to the size of the work, different styles and different technicalities, at least three different painters are thought to have been working here.
Evidence within the works is vast and demonstrates many different aspects of the lives of the citizens in both Pompeii and Herculaneum. The type of population is highly visible within almost all the art at the sites, both how they looked and what they wore. Evidence within tombs highlights that once a person passed their family often exaggerated their best features. Furthermore, fashion is revealed through different styles of frescoes. The 1st style highlights a more greek fashion compared to the more traditionally roman fashion of the 4th style. Similarly, aspects of love and sex in the Pompeii region is highly noticeable through the large spread of depictions. Images seen in brothels capture the extensive industry that was available in Pompeii and Herculaneum, however, love is often visible within private settings too. Many works utilise the abundance of romantic myths to encapsulate their emotions.
Moreover, the influences of other cultures is heavily prevalent within art, especially the Hellenes and the Egyptians. Their influence is evident through the styles of the works, and the motifs that were popular during different styles. Many works copied Greek landscapes, mythology and panel paintings, highlighting the trade of art, culture, ideas and education that occurred, as artists had to learn how to imitate the Hellenistic style. The wall painting ‘The Astragal Players’ highlights this as it is made in a high Greek classical style, featuring Leto and Niobe of Greek mythology. The work is one of the few signed pieces, and displays five women playing astragals (or knucklebones), a common game of this time. Significantly it displays the Romans ability to mimic the art of the cultures surrounding them.
Additionally, religion within art reveals a lot about the civilisation it come from, such as who they worshipped and the importance of religion in their everyday lives. The locations of the artworks, in both public and private buildings highlight the centrality of religion to the average individual. The fresco of the ‘Rite of Goddess Isis’ demonstrates some of the trade in deities that occurred. Isis is an Eygptian goddess that gathered large amounts of support in the region a few years before the eruption. The horned atler and Egyptian motifs present the differences of culture and worship. The set up of the atler also almost exactly matches that of the remains of an Iseum temple in Pompeii, displaying the accuracy that was required of these works. Another example is statues of Apollo and Diana which highlight how traditional deities were viewed and also held great significance for the people.
Evidence towards the types of entertainment enjoyed by the Romans can also be observed within their art. These works immortalise not only the types of entertainment available but also how it was completed as well as providing a visual to accompany written accounts. The mosaic of the ‘Rehearsal for a Satyr Play’ demonstrates how theatre would have looked in the Pompeii region. The costumes, masks, and some instruments (eg. the double flute) are visible, and potentially the father of satyric drama himself, Aeschylus. The bold figure with a beard, is thought to represent Aeschylus as the figure’s features strongly match a known surviving bust of the playwright thus cementing him as an influential figure of drama. Contrastingly the ‘Pair of Stags’ sculptures demonstrates hunting another form of Roman entertainment displaying the myriad of preferences that were available to the people.
The types of food available to the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum was vast, art encapsulates the types of food and the variety. Furthermore, early archaeologists used art, primarily paintings and mosaics to classify the types of food and plants that were in the region. The mosaic ‘Marine Still life’ serves as not only a visual menu but also a representation of the sea creatures that were prevalent in the area. Modern studies have concluded that the species seen in this mosaic are still able to be caught in the Bay. The mosaic bares a similar style to the works of Sosos, who utilised trompe l’oeil to give his work depth. In addition it provides great evidence towards the necessity of the sea as a source of food and trade for the people.
In addition the division of occupations and wealth are clearly demonstrated through art found in both cities, which provides a deeper understanding of the people who once occupied the area. The ‘fresco of a Roman Republican private banquet’ highlights the large division of wealth. The main pair, a female and male are extravagantly dressed and lounging on highly decorative furniture clearly demonstrating their wealth. In contrast the servant girl in the background is plainly dressed confirming the spread of assets within the cities, supported through new archaeological findings of the majority of people having a low economic status. Furthermore, occupation is more clearly shown through the ‘Wall painting of Bacchus and Mount Vesuvius’ and the ‘Amphora with cupids’ vase, which display the large wine making industry that was popular throughout the region.
Finally, events and significant people are visible through the art found within the Pompeii region, these works immortalise the event and its historical significance to the people. As well as providing a visual to the written accounts describing either the event or person of importance in the region. The ‘Statue of Marcus Nonius Balbus’ highlights his importance to the people of Herculaneum, as it was donated by the people in his honour. Balbus’ prominent political life and significant impact as a slave owner meant he held great prestige in the city. The evidence of his significance is his clothes (toga) and his position a top a horse marking him as of a high status. Additionally, the fresco ‘Amphitheatre of Pompeii’ and ‘The Alexander mosaic’ highlight important events that have shaped the Pompeii region. Such as the amphitheatre riot, or have shaped the greater Meditarrian, the battle of Alexander and King Darius III of Persia.
To surmise the work uncovered in Pompeii and Herculaneum are capable of demonstrating a wide range of aspects that occurred in their era. All the works excavated present a slightly different take on the lives of the people that lived and breathed throughout the city.
