A ROMAN WALL-PAINTING FRAGMENT

CIRCA 50-75 A.D.

Details

A ROMAN WALL-PAINTING FRAGMENT
CIRCA 50-75 A.D.
Preserving a diamond-shaped panel with a dancing female figure on a white ground, nude but for her greenish blue mantle loosely draped around her lower body, her head lowered and turned to the right, her red hair pulled up into a top-knot, with red rose buds on green stems on either side, the scene framed by a border of red and blue joined triangles and linear tendrils in ochre, red, pink and blue
13¼ in. (33.7 cm.) high

Provenance

with N. Koutoulakis.
with Charles Ede, Ltd., London.
McFadyean Collection (1969-1994).

Lot Essay

This panel forms part of the "wallpaper" pattern which decorated Room 9 of the Villa Varano at Stabiae, the majority of which is in the archaeological museum in Naples. It was removed from the villa in 1759 during the excavation of the site and was perhaps a royal gift from the Bourbon Court to a Grand Tourist. For the section preserved in Naples see fig. 88 in Ling, Roman Painting.

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