In general, Roman art, such as that found in Pompeii, was greatly influence by the earlier Greek artists. The demand for Greek art was so great that Roman artists simply copied many of the Greek works of art.
Pompeii began as a settlement of small fishing and agricultural communities. In 80 BCE, it was incorporated into the Roman Empire when the Roman emperor Sulla settled about 5,000 Roman veterans and their families in the city. Local inhabitants were displaced, and the city was renamed Colonia Cornelia Veneria Pompeianorum, indicating its status as a colony.
While Pompeii was not a particularly important town within the Roman empire, it had a population of 10-12,000 and many wealthy Romans built houses there. With easy access to the Mediterranean and proximity to Rome, Pompeii was a hub for trade throughout the empire.
On August 24, 79 CE, Mount Vesuvius, a volcano in Italy erupted. By the end of the day, the Roman port city of Pompeii was covered by 20 feet of ash and rock. Prior to the volcanic eruption, Pompeii had a population of 10-12,000 people. The city lay forgotten until the eighteenth century. Archaeological excavations began in 1748 and are still being done. Almost three quarters of the city has been uncovered and a number of buildings restored.
The Oregon Museum of Science and Technology (OMSI) in Portland had a special exhibit on Pompeii which included more than 200 items on loan from the Naples National Archaeological Museum. Shown below is some of the Roman art which was on display in this exhibit.
The most frequent form of sculpture found in Pompeii is sculpture, primarily pieces done in marble or bronze. Art historian Joseph John Basile, in his entry on Roman sculpture in The Oxford Companion to Archaeology, writes:
“Like Greek sculpture, Roman sculpture is naturalistic in style, encompassing a variety of forms and materials, and was used in several contexts.”
Joseph John Basile also writes:
“In general, Roman sculpture appears to mirror Greek sculpture in style and composition.”
According to the Museum display:
“Scholars believe this bust is of Agrippina the Elder, mother of the Roman Emperor Caligula. This attribution was made through comparisons of royal portraiture and coins minted in her likeness. Evidence further points to Agripinna the Elder through her distinctive hairstyle. The complex knot of braids, overlapping curls, and the classical central part was her hallmark. As she was known throughout Rome as a great woman, women mimicked her likeness.”
According to the Museum display:
“This group was the main sculptural feature of the peristyle garden water basin, which was the most elaborate in Pompeii. Installed after the earthquake in 62 A.D., the wild animals chosen to adorn the basin were to directly juxtapose their untamed nature to the groomed courtyard where they were installed. The wild boar and the right dog served as a water feature and spurted water from their mouths, whereas the left dog was only decorative. The elaborate and naturalistic style of this sculpture was highly valued by the Romans.”
According to the Museum display:
“Existing between the realms of human and divine, putti or cherubs, were considered messengers and guardians. In this sculpture, a cherub reclines by the water but is frightened by a frog. There are traces of the original pigment on the rock (black), hair (yellow) on the eyebrows and eyes (brown).”
More Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome: Erotic Images in Pompeii (Photo Diary)
Ancient Rome: Jewelry (Photo Diary)
Ancient Rome: Pompeii's Amphitheater
Ancient Rome: The Houses of Pompeii
Ancient Rome: Death in Pompeii
Ancient Rome: Food in Pompeii
Ancient Rome: Theater in Pompeii
Ancient Greece: Ceramics at the Maryhill Museum (Photo Diary)