16. Boscoreale. Villa Pompeiani di Publio Fannio Sinistore. Villa of Publius Fannius Synistor.

In later times the Villa of L. Herius Florus or Lucius Herennius Florus.

Part :     1        2        3        4        5        6        7        8       Plan

Room F. Dressing room of summer triclinium.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1900.

Room F, dressing room of the summer triclinium.

Imitation marble decoration painted on the north wall.

The summer triclinium had its own dressing room which was square with sides of just over three metres.

It was at the end of corridor 23 with its entrance opposite that of the summer triclinium G.

It was an almost square room, with walls of around three metres, and was also decorated in a simple way that imitated the Corinthian room.

The decoration here was of marble pilasters with panels inlaid with yellow Venetian marble.

Behind them was a red granite podium with green marble shelf.

Above this were Corinthian columns, which together with the pilasters went up to the lintel and the ceiling.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p.67, Fig. 15.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale.

Room F, dressing room of the summer triclinium.

Imitation marble decoration on the north wall.

Photo © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund 1903. Inventory number 03.14.12.

See www.metmuseum.org

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. Wall painting from east wall of room F.

Photo © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund 1903. Inventory number 03.14.10.

See www.metmuseum.org

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale.

Wall painting from south wall of room F.

Photo © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund 1903. Inventory number 03.14.11.

See www.metmuseum.org

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1903 drawing of wall painting panels.

Room F, dressing room of the summer triclinium.

Sambon describes three panels:

Left [Sambon 33]: Through a portico is double row of grooved Corinthian columns, resting on a base, we see a wall covered with large red panels bordered at the bottom by a frieze of green ovals, at the top by a multi-coloured marble embossing (green and yellow on red background) and by a cornice mouldings. Measurement: width: 1.14 m X height: 1.95.

Right [Sambon 34]: Through a row of pillars (yellow with brown inlays), one sees the back wall, panels forming and simulating the red marble with embossing. These plates are topped first by a green strip with white meanders, then a border of mouldings and then a cornice of carved caryatides; they are based on a panel of imitation granite. Measure width: 0.84 m X high. : 1.78 m.

Centre [Sambon 35]: Identical painting to 34. On the granite wainscoting, the artist placed a vine leaf at the time where he applied the solid colour so in this imitation of granite the outline of the leaf stands out vigorously.

Measurement: width: 0.94 m X high. : 1.54 m.

See Sambon A, 1903. Les Fresques de Boscoreale. Paris and Naples: Canessa. 33-35, p. 20.

Room 23: Room and corridor leading to the summer triclinium G.

To the right of the large triclinium was a spacious room (room 23) that led from the peristyle.

It could also be entered from the triclinium H by a little door in the east wall, next to the painting of the young girl with the shield.

The room was about nine metres long, two and a half metres and more wide near to the doorway, then narrowed toward the east forming a kind of corridor.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p. 63.

Room G: The summer triclinium.

At the end of corridor 23, on the left, was the doorway to a large room G, the summer triclinium.

It was nine metres long, no more than four and a half metres wide.

It had a white mosaic floor.

Shortly after the entrance doorway, the floor was crossed by a band of colourful geometric patterned mosaic, representing white rectangles, on a black background, arranged in three rows, next to each other.

It was used to distinguish the vestibule from the inside part, used for the couches of the triclinium, which measured six metres long.

The room had no window to the south but had large openings towards the east and north.

These captured the early morning sun and was shaded and cool the rest of the day.

From the east windows was a beautiful view of the Lattari mountains above Stabia covered in greenery.

The north window gave the splendid vista of Vesuvius, all covered with vines.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p.63-8.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. Room G, summer triclinium, west wall.

Architectural scene with large portico decorated with Corinthian columns, pilasters and a set of imitation doors.

There are two candelabra in front of the wall, each with figures of Victory at the top and cupids at the bottom.

The cornice of the wall is supported by Satyrs and Maenads.

On top of the wall stand two tragic masks.

At the top of the door is a frieze with a hunting scene, reminiscent of Artemis.

A winged Eros flies above the door.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number s.n. 1.

See Schefold, K., 1962. Vergessenes Pompeji. Bern: Francke. p. 33.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1900 drawing of room G, summer triclinium, west wall.

Architectural scene painted on the back wall of the summer triclinium.

According to Barnabei, almost to increase the enjoyment of coolness, the painter who decorated the walls here imitated the architecture of the Corinthian room with major scenic effects.

Seen upon entering, on the rear wall was a large portico decorated with Corinthian columns, pilasters and a set of the most beautiful imitation painted doors.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p.64, fig.13.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. Room G triclinium, south wall.

Wall-painting depicting a facade in front of an entrance to a peristyle.

Now in the Musée Royal de Mariemont, Morlanwelz, Belgium.

http://www.musee-mariemont.be/

Photo courtesy of Michel Wal, Wikimedia Commons.

This photo is subject to an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported licence.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1903 drawing of room G, summer triclinium.

A large peristyle and architectural scene was painted on the south wall of the summer triclinium.

According to Barnabei, the damage to the upper part of the painting made it impossible to determine with accuracy the architectural layout.

There were columns and Corinthian pilasters standing on podiums and on pedestals, flanked by two groups of three columns, each supporting a frieze frame. 

In the central part again was a magnificent door with columns that supported the frame and triangular pediment.

Above the triangular pediment was a type of aedicula, in the middle of which appeared the lower part of a golden vase.

Under the garland, in the distance, were two columns of a peristyle on whose lintel, in the middle of the scene, was placed a vase in the form of a pyx (round container with lid).

A red screen wall was behind and turned at right angles at each end where two masks were placed.

Beyond the screen, seen in passing, was an ionic portico.

The north wall opposite perhaps was to be painted with the same decoration for reasons of symmetry, and perhaps this decoration had to be coordinated with the large window that opened in that wall towards Vesuvius.

But of this, nothing was known as nothing was kept of that wall.

We know only that to the side of the large window that looked towards the east, on black walls, ran a white carved cornice, above which were placed slender and elegant vases.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p.65-6, fig.14.

See Sambon A, 1903. Les Fresques de Boscoreale. Paris and Naples: Canessa. 29-31, p. 18, pl. 7.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1903 painting of room G, summer triclinium, south wall.

According to Sambon there were three pieces [29-31] forming the whole.

Through a triple row of Corinthian columns, based on green pedestals is a red wall.

This amounts to two-thirds of the height of the columns and is partially hiding a large courtyard circumscribed by gantry.

On the cornice of each of the projecting ends of this wall are two tragic masks.

At the centre of the wall opens a large door with stem pediment supported by two Corinthian columns.

The pediment is decorated with a frieze of tritons, nereids and cupids painted white on purple.

The door is closed by a grid in wood and adorned with greenery supported by a bucrania (bulls head).

Through the door is the sacred enclosure and, in the distance, standing out against the sky, is the continuation of the exterior portico.

On top of the cornice of this portico is a wide vase (plemochoe).

Measurement of the three pieces: 5.015m X 3m.

See Sambon A, 1903. Les Fresques de Boscoreale. Paris and Naples: Canessa. 29-31, p. 18, pl. 7.

Sambon also lists a part of the wall opposite.

Two tragic masks on an angle of cornice, measuring 0.46m by 0.75m.

See Sambon A, 1903. Les Fresques de Boscoreale. Paris and Naples: Canessa. 32, p. 18

Room H: The large triclinium or oecus.

Arranged on the north side of the courtyard was a series of decorative rooms:

Next to the tablinum opened the large dining room or oecus (room H), the largest of all rooms of the house.

It was opposite the villa entrance, decorated with a megalographic painting against the background of a colonnaded portico.

In the middle of the back wall, was painted Venus with cupids, on the left Dionysus and Ariadne, to the right the Three Graces;

on the side walls with a red background were depicted Macedonian and Hellenistic Kings together with the philosopher Menedemus of Eretria.

The outer sides of the entrance to the oecus were painted with winged flying figures. 

It received ample light through two windows, one to the right, the other to the left of the door from the peristyle.

These three large openings were almost in direct line with the entrance corridor (fauces C) on the opposite side of the peristyle.

The door, a little less than two metres, had a marble threshold with a greyish tint, just over two metres long which was in two pieces. 

Inset on this threshold were two rectangular plates of iron, on which the pins of a wooden gate turned.

In peristyle E, at the sides of the entrance to this room, two cupids in the semblance of young fauns were painted above the podium.

The room was almost square, eight metres long, seven-and-a-half metres wide.

It had the white mosaic floor edged by black bands, in the middle of which was a black square with sides of one metre and eighty centimetres.

In the central part of this square was a black and white pattern.

On the four sides of the room, the walls had been painted with columns of the same mastery as had been painted in the peristyle.

They were tapered and of the same height and diameter.

However, the columns of the peristyle were fluted, whereas in the triclinium they were totally smooth and perfectly round.

Originally there would have been three paintings on each of the west, north and east walls.

On the south wall were the two large windows and the doorway to the peristyle. Above the doorway was a painting of Pan.

Each of the paintings that originally adorned this room derives from the Greek tradition of megalographia, or large-scale painting.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p. 47-62.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. Room H west wall.

On the west wall would have been three panels for paintings, although it would seem the one at the north end was never started.

At the left end, was a painting of an older man, a philosopher, leaning on a stick and looking towards the central panel.

In the central panel, two women were engaged in conversation.

They are thought to be members of the Antigonid family (Antigonos Gonatas and Phila) or personifications of Syria and Macedonia.

Now in Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number s. n. 5.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1900. Room H west wall, south end.

Painting of an older man, a philosopher, leaning on a stick and looking towards the central panel.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p. 58,Tav. VII.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1900. Room H west wall, central panel.

Two women were engaged in conversation.

They are thought to be members of the Antigonid family (Antigonos Gonatas and Phila) or personifications of Syria and Macedonia.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p. 59,Tav. VIII.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. Room H, triclinium, panel at north end of east wall.

A seated woman in white and purple garments is playing a golden kithara.

She and the young girl standing behind her chair looking towards the spectator or the entrance.

Photo © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund 1903. Inventory number 03.14.5.

See www.metmuseum.org

On the east wall were three paintings.

At the left end was a seated woman wearing purple and white robes, playing a golden lyre.

At the rear was another female figure, a young girl standing behind the chair.

In the central panel, a couple in conversation on a throne were painted.

The woman leaning forward with her chin on her fist, gazing at the nude male figure at her side, whose crossed hands rested on a golden staff.

At the right end, was a female painted standing, turning her head upwards to gaze towards the wall with Venus.

In her right hand, she held a shield which showed the reflection of a nude youth, also gazing towards the north wall and Venus.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1900. Room H, triclinium, panel at north end of east wall.

On the east wall were three paintings.

Here a seated woman in white and purple garments is playing a golden kithara.

In the central panel, a couple in conversation seated side by side on a throne were painted.

At the south end, was a female painted standing, turning her head upwards to gaze towards the wall with Venus.

See Barnabei F., 1901. La villa pompeiana di P. Fannio Sinistore. Roma: Accademia dei Lincei. p. 55, Tav. V.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1903. Room H, triclinium, panel at north end of east wall.

According to Sambon, this painting was of exceptional preservation.

Though it was suggested that it may show Sappho, he thought it was a portrait of the mistress of the house.

It measures 1.88 m high and width 1.87m.

See Sambon A, 1903. Les Fresques de Boscoreale. Paris and Naples: Canessa. 19, p. 12-14.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. 1903 painting. Room H, triclinium east wall.

See Sambon A, 1903. Les Fresques de Boscoreale. Paris and Naples: Canessa. pl. I.

Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. Room H, triclinium south wall. Wall painting of a column.

Photo © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of C. & E. Canessa, 1908. Inventory number 08.264.

See www.metmuseum.org.

See Bergmann, B. 2010. New Perspectives on the Villa of Publius Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 67(4): pp. 13, 26, fig. 42.

Part :     1        2        3        4        5        6        7        8       Plan