VI.15.1 Pompeii. House of the
Vettii or Casa dei Vettii or Domus Vettiorum.
Excavated 1894-1895. Linked to VI.15.27.
In Notizie degli Scavi, prior to January 1897, this house was described as being in Insula 12 of Reg. VI, afterwards it was changed to Insula 15 of Reg. VI.
Room of the Cupids or Cherubs (PPM – room q)
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 VI.15.1
Plan
North wall
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023. Upper north wall in room of the cupids or cherubs. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006. Upper north wall and ceiling in room of the cupids or cherubs.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023. Upper north wall, detail from east end. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023. North wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. c.1899. Painting by D’Amelio, showing north wall.
See D’Amelio, P.
(1899). Nuovi Scavi di Pompei, Casa dei Vettii appendice ai dipinti murali.
(Tav. VIII.).
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023.
West end of north wall, figures in middle of panel. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
(Note: the central “flying figures”, on the left, appear to be different to the above photo.
They look more like the ones from the north end of the east wall).
Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum. Inventory
number 16-1898.
Watercolour by Luigi Bazzani showing detail of part of upper north wall between the west and central panels.
Photo
© Victoria and Albert Museum. Inventory number 17-1898.
Watercolour by Luigi Bazzani showing detail of part of upper north wall on east side of west panel.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. c.1897. Watercolour by Luigi Bazzani, showing painted decorations on cornices.
Photo
© Victoria and Albert Museum. Inventory number 18-1898.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006.
Underneath, on the right, is a standing female figure of a Bacchante.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. January 2023.
North wall in north-west corner with painting of cupids celebrating a festival in honour of Bacchus. Photo courtesy of Miriam Colomer.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023.
North wall in north-west corner with painting of cupids celebrating a festival in honour of Bacchus. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. March 2023.
Lower north wall in north-west corner with painting of cupids celebrating a festival in honour of Bacchus. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006. North wall in north-west corner with painting of cupids celebrating a festival in honour of Bacchus.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 1992. North wall in north-west corner with painting of cupids celebrating a festival in honour of Bacchus.
Photo
by Louis Méric courtesy of Jean-Jacques Méric.
VI.15.1 Pompeii.
Early 20th century postcard by G. Sommer, no.185, showing painting of cupids from the north wall. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. March 2023. Detail from lower north wall at west end. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. March 2023. Detail from painted panel on lower north wall at west end. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023.
North wall, small panel in predella showing three Psychai gathering flowers. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006. North wall towards west end.
Above the standing female figure of a Bacchante is a small panel showing three Psychai gathering flowers.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023. Detail of three Psychai gathering flowers, from predella on north wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. c.1897. North wall.
Watercolour by Luigi Bazzani showing detail of painted decoration on north wall between the west side and central panels.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. March 2023. Centre of lower north wall. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023. Detail of painted decoration in lower centre of zoccolo on north wall. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006.
In the centre of the north wall would have been a painting either removed or destroyed during the eruption.
Photo of the lower centre of north wall.
At the top of the photo is a wall painting of cupids gathering and pressing grapes.
Underneath left is a standing female figure of a Bacchante. Underneath right is a standing figure of a Satyr.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023.
Panel in zoccolo towards west end of north wall, with standing female figure of a Bacchante.
Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. 1898. Panel in zoccolo towards west end of
north wall, with standing female figure of a Bacchante.
Bacchante, crowned with ivy, naked above and covered, the legs in a green
dress, with a yellow cloak fluttering behind the shoulders, in an orgiastic
movement, plays the kettledrum.
See Sogliano, A. La
Casa dei Vettii in Pompei Mon. Ant. 1898, p. 377,
Fig. 65, p. 374-5, no. 5.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023.
Predella in centre of north wall, painted panel of cupids gathering and pressing grapes. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Predella in centre of north wall, painted panel of cupids gathering and pressing grapes. Photo courtesy of Johannes Eber.
VI.15.1 Pompeii.
Early 20th century postcard by G. Sommer, showing painting of cupids from the north wall. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006. North wall with wall painting of a Satyr.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023.
Zoccolo on east side of central panel, panel with painting of Satyr. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. 1898. Zoccolo on east side of central panel, panel with painting of Satyr.
Crowned with pine and equipped with nebride, he holds the pedum in his right hand and shields his eyes from the sun with his left hand.
See Sogliano, A. La
Casa dei Vettii in Pompei Mon. Ant. 1898, Fig.
66, p. 379-380, p. 375 no. 6.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. December 2006. Lower north wall in north-east corner with painting of cupids celebrating the festival of Vesta.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. October 2023. Detail from north wall, at east end, cupids celebrating the festival of Vesta. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
VI.15.1 Pompeii. Detail from north wall, at east end, cupids celebrating the festival of Vesta.
See Sogliano, A. La
Casa dei Vettii in Pompei Mon. Ant. 1898, (p.353-4,
fig 53)
VI.15.1 Pompeii. c.1896. Detail from north wall, at east end, cupids celebrating the festival of Vesta.
According to BdI – On the right of the rear wall, length 1.34, badly preserved, Le Vestalia.
On the left, a Psyche-servant carries a plate to the right.
Then follows, another sitting, who puts his left foot over a white object that, as I see it, resembles, more than anything else, an altar.
Then four people lie around on top of a large yellow tray, in the form of a plate, with a high edge; on it stand a krater, on which was placed the kyathos, and two skyphoi; on the left, on the ground, a yellow bottle with a low wide belly, long neck and rectangular handle.
The first of the diners, to the left, resting on the left elbow, hands a cantharus to the sitting Psyche; above these two one could see a donkey, which it seems, was looking down onto the cantharus.
The following diner (it seems to me, male), seen almost full faced, has hands clasped and resting on the cover in front of his chest.
The third has the right arm placed on the head, and it seems that in the left arm, leaning on the elbow, held a plate.
The last one, sitting to the right, gives some drink to a donkey.
To the right of this, one who carries some object; on the far-right figures and objects that are not recognizable.
See BdI Mitteilungen 11, 1896, (p.80-81, no.156.)
See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, (no.777)
(Sul muro di
fondo, a destra, l.1.34, mal conservato, Le Vestalia.
A sinistra una
Psiche-serva porta verso destra un piatto.
Segue
un’altra, seduta, che mette il piede sinistra sopra un oggetto bianco che, a
quanto il vedo, rassomiglia, più che ad altro, ad un altarino.
Quindi quattro
persone sdraiate sopra coltri intorno ad un grande vassoio giallo, in forma di
patera, con margine alto; su di esso stanno un cratere, sul quale era posto il kyathos, e due skyphoi; a
sinistra, per terra, una bottiglietta gialla con pancia bassa, larga, collo
lungo e manico rettangolare.
Il primo dei
commensali, verso sinistro, poggiato sul gomito sinistro, porge un cantaro alla
Psiche seduta; al disopra di questi due si vede un asino che, a quanto pare,
guarda giù sul cantaro.
Il seguente
(mi sembra maschio), veduto quasi di faccia, ha le mani giunte ed appoggiate
sulla coltre avanti al petto.
Il terzo ha il
braccio destra posto sulla testa, e pare che sulla sinistra, appoggiata sul
gomito, regga una patera.
L’ultimo,
seduto verso destra, dà
da bere ad un asino.
A destra di
questo uno che porta qualche oggetto; all’estremità destra figure ed oggetti
non riconoscibili. Cf. Helbig 777.)
Vedi BdI
Mitteilungen 11, 1896, (p.80-81, no.156.)
Vedi Helbig, W.,
1868. Wandgemälde der vom
Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, (no.777).
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 VI.15.1 Plan