VII.4.22 Pompeii. Shop and dwelling house.

Linked to VII.4.21. Excavated 1822, 1833. Bombed 13th September 1943.

VII.4.22 Pompeii. March 2009. Entrance, looking towards east wall of shop-room.

According to CTP – this was called the “Bottega dei frutti secchi” (shop of the dried fruits), this name was given to the street (Strada dei frutti secchi) before it was renamed as Via degli Augustali.

See Van der Poel, H. B., 1983. Corpus Topographicum Pompeianum, Part II. Austin: University of Texas, (p.75).

According to Fiorelli, at the rear of this shop-room was the doorway to the atrium with a beautiful marble impluvium, puteal, and marble pedestal on which perhaps would have been a figure in relief throwing water into the basin below.

To the left of the atrium, and behind shop no. 21, was a cubiculum, opposite the tablinum, the stairs to the upper floor, and nearby to this the triclinium, followed by the kitchen at the rear.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.90)

VII.4.22 Pompeii. September 2005. Entrance to the shop-room.

VII.4.22 Pompeii. December 2007. Entrance.

VII.4.22 Pompeii. About 1860. Painting by Teodoro Duclère entitled Bottega VII.4.22.

Alma Tadema exhibition, Naples Archaeological Museum, December 2007.

Painting on loan from Sorrento, Museo Correale di Terranova.

VII.4.22 Pompeii. About 1860. Painting by Teodoro Duclère entitled Bottega VII.4.22.

Now in Museo Correale di Terranova, Sorrento. Inventory number 2839.

VII.4.22 Pompeii. December 2007. Site of a fresco of Venus and Mercury described by Fiorelli and now lost.

Fiorelli describes it as being in VII.4.23, and says “Sul pilastro che divide questa dalla susseguente taberna......”.

This translates as “On the pilaster that divides this from the following shop….” This would mean VII.4.23 and VII.4.24.

However, the pilaster above fits the description of the painting, the shape of the remaining plaster and including the painted white line across it.

See Pappalardo, U., 2001. La Descrizione di Pompei per Giuseppe Fiorelli (1875). Napoli: Massa Editore. (p.90).

VII.4.22 Pompeii. About 1860. Detail from painting by Teodoro Duclère entitled Bottega VII.4.22.

This shows a fresco of Venus and Mercury.

VII.4.22 Pompeii. Drawing of fresco of Venus and Mercury.

See Real Museo Borbonico, I, Plate 32.

According to Boyce, this was to be found on the pilaster separating the entrances to the shops at VII.4.23/24.

He describes Venus as being adorned with crown, necklace and bracelets and wearing a red garment bordered in white, and sandals.

In the background between the two figures was a high column, and against a small pilaster at its base leans an ithyphallic figure.

See Boyce G. K., 1937. Corpus of the Lararia of Pompeii. Rome: MAAR 14. (p.111)

VII.4.22 Pompeii. Pre-1827. Drawing of painting of Bacchus holding a Comedy mask.

This was found on the wall of a small room which protrudes opposite the side entrance of the so-called Pantheon.

This may not be the exact location of the finding of the painting, but it must have been somewhere in the local vicinity.

Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 9050.

See Real Museo Borbonico Vol. III, 1827, Tav. IV.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, no. 408 p. 102.

Kuivalainen comments –

“This is a theatrical scene with three different events presented as a compact composition. The tallest figure in the middle is Bacchus, the inventor and protector of theatre, accompanied by the faithful Silenus. On the left, an actor is preparing for his role, assisted with his outfit by two other figures; perhaps he is seeking inspiration from the mask, which is also touched by the divinity. On the right, perhaps spectators, a heterogeneous lot. This could be a rare depiction of Bacchus inside a theatre, with an altar in front of the picture field. Though there are many theatrical wall paintings in Pompeii, they present other kinds of Bacchic themes, eg, in the house of Marcus Lucretius (IX.3.5) and in the house of Menander (I.10.4).”

See Kuivalainen, I., 2021. The Portrayal of Pompeian Bacchus. Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum 140. Helsinki: Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, (F30, p.182).

VII.4.22/23 Pompeii. Pre 1827. Drawing of painting of Mars and Venus.

According to Real Museo Borbonico –

“Questo dipinto per venusta e per grazia sopra ogni altro singolare adornava la stanza accanto alla porta della casa di un pompeiano, che abitava dirimpetto l’ingresso laterale dell’edificio volgarmente detto Panteon.”

(“This painting adorned the room next to the door of a Pompeian, who lived opposite the side entrance of a building commonly called the Pantheon.”). [VII.9.19/7/8]

See Real Museo Borbonico Vol. III, 1827, Tav. XXXVI.

See Helbig, W., 1868. Wandgemälde der vom Vesuv verschütteten Städte Campaniens. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, no. 327.

(Note: this could have been found in either VII.4.21, 22 or 23).