The fresco was discovered in the 'black room', an 'imposing' banquet hall with elegant black walls at a former private residence at Pompeii (pictured)
Posted on 04/12/2024 8:38:22 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Nearly 2,000 years since it was buried by volcanic rubble, the lost city of Pompeii is yielding even more astonishing discoveries.
Archeologists have uncovered remarkably preserved 'fresco' paintings on a wall at a former private residence along Via di Nola, one of Pompeii's longest streets.
One of the stunning artworks depicts Helen of Troy, a beautiful woman in Greek mythology, meeting Paris, prince of Troy, for the first time...
The frescos have been discovered in the 'black room', an 'imposing' banquet hall with elegant black walls at a former private residence along Via di Nola.
It's being called the black room because it was painted black, likely to mask soot from oil lamps that would have burnt...
Dr Sophie Hay, a British archaeologist who works at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, said the 'high quality' frescos used the black walls as the background for the scene.
'The dining room seems to be vaguely unique in the sense that normally there are figurative panels with a border around them,' she told the Times.
'But the ones in that room are painted directly on to the background.
'So it's like they're doing something new, which is really nice but obviously they never got to enjoy it.'
...Dr Andrew Sillett, a classics lecturer at the University of Oxford, has described the frescos as 'pretty cool' because they were likely done close to the eruption...
A third fresco in the black room, meanwhile, shows Leda, mother of Helen of Troy...
A fourth fresco, which is barely uncovered from the ancient volcanic material, shows a female figure appearing to hold a dish.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Thanks AG for the link.
They were painted black to make the colors more vibrant and stand out even more. A painter once told me that if you want white paint to be brighter, just add a little black...............
It weren’t the burning lava that wiped them out. It was asphyxiation.
All I can say is...poor, poor Apollo. Yikes.
They likely died from the poisonous superheated gasses................
Actually, they were anticipating the fame of the Rolling Stones.
“They can have any color they want as long as it’s BLACK.” - Henry Ford.........................
Amazing finds continue to be made in Pompeii excavations.
Beeber stuning
😆. Indeed. Was the original color of the door to that room red?
The cost of lighting had to be high. Oil for lamps was expensive. No windows. I don’t think glass windows had been invented yet, but without any source of natural light, lamps had to be used most of the time anyone was in the room.
I guess noses were the big asses of the first century.
Wait until they learn it was Keith Richards that painted those during the later days of his young adult years.
My wife, who’s been just about everywhere, counts Pompeii in her Top Two Places to Visit.
Many subterranean discoveries. We noticed a couple underway during our visit to Rome many years ago. I believe the discovery was related to road construction. I’m curious how the structures were covered, or were they actually built into the ground.
I dunno, I think Cassandra’s prettier than Helen. She must have been creeped out when Apollo showed up in his birthday suit and lyre.
Paris had a dog? My opinion of him went up a notch. I also didn’t know that we could call Paris Hilton Alexander.
Reminds me of all those oil paintings from Mexico done on Black Velvet.
The black made the colors stunning.
I also remember what my art teacher said back in 1972 when we went to an art show at the Tulsa Library. Beautiful paintings till the teacher said....”OH MY GOD! HE USED BLACK!” The horror on their faces told me black was not to be used!
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