Regio IV - Insula II - Caseggiato IV,II,5

Building IV,II,5 was set against the outer north-west wall of the Terme del Faro (IV,II,1) during the reign of Antoninus Pius or Marcus Aurelius. The only entrance was at the north end, from the paved square of the Caseggiato dell'Ercole (IV,II,3). At a later date an entrance was hacked out in the south-west wall. The north end of the building was modified extensively however: an elaborate stairwell was added, and a huge basin serving the baths.

The rooms of the building are on either side of a corridor (5). There are two small rooms on the south-east side (6, 7). Here a new back wall was added later. On the north-west side are four rooms, along a public passage connecting the paved square and an unpaved square in the south part of the block. The two southern rooms along the passage (1, 2) originally had wide entrances in the facade. Later these were narrowed, and then blocked. In the facade of the two northern rooms windows have been preserved. At the south end of the corridor is a courtyard (4).

In the building a large number of paintings was found, figurative and with architectural motifs. Some of these can be seen below. The paintings have been detached from the walls, and are now in the museum and store-rooms. Their presence in a rather modest building is surprising. The building was apparently a showroom of a painters' workshop. These painters must have resided in this and in the surrounding buildings. Their presence in the nearby Portico dell'Ercole (IV,II,2) is suggested by a large relieving arch in a corridor, that was painted red and white.

Plan of the building. After SO I.

Photographs

The central corridor, seen from the south-west. Photograph: Jan Theo Bakker.

The rooms to the south-east of the corridor, seen from the south-west.
Photograph: Jan Theo Bakker.

A wall-painting on the original back wall of the northernmost room to the south-east of the corridor.
Note the bricks of the back wall that was added later. Photograph: Jan Theo Bakker.

A painting with vegetative motifs from the building. Baccini Leotardi 1978, Tav. XIII.

A judicial scene from the building (c. 250 AD). To the left is a high podium on top of which the lower part of a seated person can be seen. To the right are two gesticulating men. The left one is raising his right arm, the right one holds a finger near his eye. On the floor between them is an amphora, broken in two parts. To the right is a large bowl.
H. Mielsch, Roemische Wandmalerei, Darmstadt 2001, fig. 145.

A judicial scene from the building (c. 250 AD). To the right is a high podium on top of which is a seated person. Another person seems to be standing behind him. In front of the podium are two persons. The right one is preserved badly. He (?) is emerging from behind the podium. His right arm is stretched out towards the lid of a vessel that is standing on the floor. To the left stands a person with long hair and a chain around the neck.
Floriani Squarciapino 1962, Tav. 136, fig. 3.

The Judgement of Solomon? (c. 250 AD) To the left is a child, to the right a man about to strike the child.
Floriani Squarciapino 1962, Tav. 134, fig. 1.

Fragment of a painting with Fortuna, brown and yellow, wearing a pallium and a chiton (max. h. 1.02; max. w. 1.36; h. of Fortuna 0.51). In her left arm is a cornucopiae, in her right hand a rudder. She is standing on a green floor and framed by red and yellow bands. To the right and above Fortuna the fragment ends with a diagonal red band, sloping upwards from right to left. Third century, perhaps c. 250 AD.
Ostia neg. B1285.

Fragment of a painting with three figures (max. h. 0.55; max. w. 1.52). The upper part of the figures is missing (preserved h. 0.45, 0.46 and 0.46). The figures are standing on a green and beige band. Below that is a dark-red band. To the left is a male figure resting on his right leg, wearing high shoes or low boots and a long mantle. A flap of the mantle is between his legs. He holds another flap of the mantle with his right hand. His left hand is near his belly. The mantle is dark-red. The shadow of the legs is depicted. Jupiter? In the centre is a female figure wearing a long mantle. Her right arm is not visible, in her left hand is the lower part of an object (stick with knob), that must have been running across her left shoulder. Minerva? To the right is a male figure. His legs are naked. He is resting on his left leg. The lower part of a sceptre or lance, apparently held in his left hand, stands on the ground. Mars? Late second century or c. 200 AD.
ICCD neg. E40753.

[jthb - 28-Dec-2005]