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Wall painting on red ground: candelabrum with frieze, from the imperial villa at Boscotrecase

last decade of the 1st century BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 166
From the villa of Agrippa Postumus at Boscotrecase, the Mythological Room (19)
Red panel with candelabrum

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Wall painting on red ground: candelabrum with frieze, from the imperial villa at Boscotrecase
  • Period: Augustan
  • Date: last decade of the 1st century BCE
  • Culture: Roman
  • Medium: Fresco
  • Dimensions: H. 89 in. (226.06 cm.)
    width 60 in. (152.4 cm.)
  • Classification: Miscellaneous-Paintings
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1920
  • Object Number: 20.192.13
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

Audio

Cover Image for 1273. Three wall paintings from a cubiculum nocturum (bedroom)

1273. Three wall paintings from a cubiculum nocturum (bedroom)

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You’re standing in the gallery of art from the time of the Emperor Augustus, who was in power from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D. The objects and paintings in this room attest to the wealth and opulent taste of Roman high society at this time. In fact, the wall paintings in this room come from a sumptuous villa that belonged to Agrippa, friend of the Emperor Augustus, and husband of his daughter, Julia. Painted by artists working for the imperial household, they are among the finest existing examples of Roman wall painting. The three paintings on the wall in front of you, and those on the wall to your right, come from a bedroom that opened onto a terrace overlooking the sea. As you can see in the large central panel, the bedroom walls were painted red, with delicate trellises. The two greenish-blue landscape scenes decorated either side of the bedroom. These magical landscapes depict the fortunes of love, and the ever-present sea. To hear more about them, press the PLAY button now.

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