ART AND COMMERCE IN THE ROMAN CITY
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2020-12-09

Excavations in Pompeii, Herculaneum and other well-preserved urban contexts have shown that Roman cities were awash with painted decoration. Art situated in the domestic sphere has received the bulk of scholarly attention over the years, but public wall paintings represent an equally compelling corpus of material with which to work. In the street, wall decoration was positioned at the centre of a dynamic relationship between patron/artists and their viewership. The diversity of images (and graffiti) applied to the facades of Roman buildings reflect the wide range of messages that were passing between individuals. Naturally, context played a central role in structuring these conversations. The ‘public relations’ aims of an elite householder, the owner of a fullery and a shopkeeper were different, and were reflected in their respective choices of décor. Recent studies have emphasised the economic importance of urban commercial facilities, and, at the same time, interest in ‘sub-elite’ art, public graffiti and facade architecture has grown, but wall decoration in and around shops remains a comparatively neglected topic. Although associated categories of decorative media (e.g. terracotta signs) have been subject to thorough analyses, no comprehensive examination of commercial decoration has been produced to date. This paper takes preliminary steps in that direction by exploring some common images and ornamental designs found on shop facades in Pompeii and Herculaneum.


Author(s): Lauritsen, Taylor (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel)