Pompeii; its history, buildings and antiquities - an account of the destruction of the city, with a full description of the remains, and of the recent excavations and also an itinerary for visitors (14769909501)

Identifier: pompeiiitshist00dyer (find matches)

Title: Pompeii; its history, buildings and antiquities : an account of the destruction of the city, with a full description of the remains, and of the recent excavations and also an itinerary for visitors

Year: 1887 (1880s)

Authors: Dyer, Thomas Henry, 1804-1888

Subjects:

Publisher: London : Bell

Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto

Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

Text Appearing Before Image:

continually supplied withfresh water from the adjoining fountain, which consists ofa rectangular plinth, inlaid with various marbles, amongwhich are dark green serpentine, with lighter spots, and rossoand giallo antico. A small bronze mask was let into theupper part, through which a streamlet spouted into thetrough, 4, and thence trickled over into the impluvium. Thestyle of painting is similar to that of the vestibule. A darkred plinth surrounds the room, on which Nereids are painted,reposing on sea-lions and other marine monsters; and fromthis style of ornament, which is prevalent throughout thewhole, the house has received one of its names. Above arearchitectural arabesques on a black ground—a rare exceptionto the rule above laid down as to the order in which colourssucceed each other. There were several pictures in differentparts of the room—Venus, standing by Vulcan, while ho 424 POMPEII. forges armour for iEneas; Dasdalus and Pasiphae; Parisand Helen, and some other figures.

Text Appearing After Image:

Marble Vase, Fountain, and Marble Table in the Atrium of the House of the Nereids. The tablinum, 8, is paved with opus Signinvmi, enrichedwith mosaic bands of different patterns. The walls arealmost covered with pictures, above which there is a richfrieze, in which are intermingled stucco bas-reliefs andpictures, as in the celebrated baths of Titus at Eome. Thisis the only example of this kind of decoration yet found inPompeii; and a conjecture has been made that the decorationof this room was not much anterior to the destruction of thecity, since it much resembles that style of ornament whichprevailed among the Romans about the time of Vespasianand Titus. Here we find a red plinth, with Nereids, likethose in the atrium ; above the plinth, a yellow ground withflying figures, and a picture in the centre of each wall.* Thesubject of one is Isis, of another. Mars and Venus, the thirdis entirely obliterated. Above this yellow ground is thestuccoed frieze. A small recess, 9, may perhaps ha

roman empire pompeii atriums in art houses in pompeii impluvia pompeii its history buildings and antiquities 1887 pompeii in art imaginative reconstructions house of the nereids pompeii canada italy

1887

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