. The grandeur that was Rome; a survey of Roman culture and civilisation:. f Painting is represented to us almost solely bymosaics, wall-frescoes, J and a few portraits on Egyptian mummy-cases. Nothing remains of the great masters of antiquity,Polygnotus, Zeuxis, and Apelles. But there maybe faint echoesof their work on the frescoes of Pompeii executed by unnameddecorators. Even so there is great charm in much of thiswork. Professor Mau, the great authority on Pompeii, hasdistinguished four successive phases of painting in that first the aim was to imitate the marble slabs used to cove
. The grandeur that was Rome; a survey of Roman culture and civilisation:. f Painting is represented to us almost solely bymosaics, wall-frescoes, J and a few portraits on Egyptian mummy-cases. Nothing remains of the great masters of antiquity,Polygnotus, Zeuxis, and Apelles. But there maybe faint echoesof their work on the frescoes of Pompeii executed by unnameddecorators. Even so there is great charm in much of thiswork. Professor Mau, the great authority on Pompeii, hasdistinguished four successive phases of painting in that first the aim was to imitate the marble slabs used to coverthe walls of the rich mans house. Then growing bolder thepainter imitates various forms of architectural treatmentdividing up his wall space into panels and portraying cornices,columns, pilasters, and so forth. This is roughly the style ofthe first century , and it is found in the so-called house ofLivia on the Palatine Hill at Rome.§ The third style, whichMau terms the ornate, was prevalent until about 50. * Plate 83. t Plate 84. X Plate 85. § Plate 89. 296. Plate 88. FRESCO OF THE SACRIFICE OF IPHIGENIA(See p. 297) Brogi [p. 295 THE GROWTH OF THE EMPIRE The architectural features now make no pretence at columns have become mere bands of colour, and there isprofuse ornament everywhere. The colours are somewhat fourth or intricate style once more emphasises thearchitectural character of the decoration, but the patterns aretoo intricate to presentany appearance of reality. The wholewall space shows a riot of fantastic ornament often extremelygraceful and effective. Flying goddesses and cupids impart asense of airy lightness, and floral forms festoon themselves incharming curves. The pictures are smaller and the spaceswider. No more pleasing treatment of the interior walls of ahouse has ever been devised, at any rate for warm destruction of Pompeii by the eruption of Vesuvius in brings the history of ancient painting to a prem
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