Wall from the Villa of Publius Fannius Sinistor

1. Wall from the Villa of Publius Fannius Sinistor Instructions: In the first three slides you are required to fill in the information and diagram where you can. In the slides on artistic features you are given the information, and must then match this with your own diagramming

2. The Basics • 3.4 cm high • About 60 BC • Originally from villa at Boscoreale, near Pompeii • Second style • West wall of triclinium and is only one of several richly decorated walls

4. Features of Second Style • Open space of room • Form of illusion – trompe l’oeil (deceive the eye) describes technique perfectly • Illusion of solid architecture – columns, architraves, doors, pediments, etc. projecting from wall • Seems three dimensional • Result, combined with illusion of sky and buildings glimpsed through windows and doorways, is to make walls recede and spaces seem larger

5. Interpretation • Two theatrical masks suggests inspired by stage setting for Greek tragedy • Allegory in which door represents entrance to underworld • Central door closed tantalizing – get glimpse pf what lies beyond

6. Artistic Features - Composition Black curtains • High degree of bi-lateral symmetry • Central vertical axis runs through suspended candelabrum and double doorswhich divides the frame into equal halves which are almost mirror images • Symmetry even extends to position of shadows, so that the light must be imagined as coming equally from both sides • Strong horizontal and vertical lines formed by the architectural elements are softened somewhat by the curves of the black curtain and the voluted pediment as well as the graceful shapes of the candelabra and the statuettes in the frieze • Upper part of image is damaged and details not clear

7. Artistic Features – Shading and Highlighting • Strong shadows on inner side of columns and lighter shadows on same side of columns themselves, shows attempt to create realistic illusion • A clearly imagined light source (window or doorway) on both sides which undermines realism because shadow would not be quite so dark • On whole highlighting and shading well rendered

8. Artistic Features – Colours • Yellow for pedestals • Cream for columns, door, including pediment and rectangular panels in wall • Set against background of rich red wall, while in top third of painting blue and green are predominant • Green used for receding walls on either side • Behind black curtain is glimpse of blue sky • Green used around door and in narrow band on wall

9. Artistic Features – Depth and Perspective • Illusionist painting attempts to create realistic three dimensional scene on two dimensional surface • Requires careful use of linear perspective, which is most clearly seen in pedestal bases, painted as if projecting out from wall • Receding lines of inner sides of two central pedestals converge in distance, but rather than converge on central point they converge on central axis of painting • Clearly shown in receding walls in two upper corners, where parallel lines, if projected would meet at different places on same vertical axis