The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-24

and his former book Is familiar TO most persons
who are interested In the subject. The present
volume Is not an English version Of the work
previously issued. but an entirely new discussion
Of the ,homc describing the important excavations
that have been made during tho last decade.
and embodying the authors ripcst conclusions
upon the mater We purpose horc 10 point out
first what Prof hhu has TO say about the house
Of tho Nettii. unearthed in tho years 1SeA'e6.
and the piila ruJl,ea, or Roman farmhouse near
the present village OF DoscoreGie. which was laid
bare In iso3-0i We shalt then rlance At the
| general comments which will be found In the In.
PRODUCTION, and at a fnal chapter on tho signIn.
cameo OF the Pompciian culture.
| I.
Tho house the ve,tii, which, as We have said,
was oxcavated in tho years 1804-05, is tho most
! important representative Of its class. II was
situated In quiet part OF the city, and was not
conspicuous by OF its sire: its interest lies
chiefly in its paintings and in the adornment
( Of the well preserved peiis;yo. The colonnades
: Of the perIstyle surround garden. The columns
/ are well preserved: they arc white. with ornate
capitals, moulded in stucco and painted in a
| variety Of colors. The roof Of the greater part
oi the coonnhdss has been restored and the garden
has been planted with sl rubs In accordance with
! the original arrangement indicated by the appear.
! arce Of the ground at the time OF the excavation
/ Nowhere else I'm Pomp-ii will the visitor SO easily
I gain an impression Of the sspec, presented by a
B peristye in ancient times The main par, Of tho
. hcusn seems tohavc been sea ed after the crup
toh for objects Of value, but the garden was left
urdiJturbcd, and We In IL TO day the fountain,
basins statueites no other sculptures placed there
! by the proprietor. In each %! the four corners
! OF the colonnade is q round fountain basin, and
at each side Ia an oblnng basin, all OF them being
J OF marble. Jets fell into them from statuettes
standing on pcdcstals beside the columns; there
were two figures for each SIDE basin and ono sach
fo- the basins at ths corners The two statue ties
at the inner end Of the colonnade arc Of bronze:
| they represent boy with a duck from the bill Of
which the water spurted. The rest are Of marble.
and not Of special interest Among them arc .
Bacchu' and two satyrs. he waterpipes wero
no we'll preserved that Il has been found possible
10 place them In repair, and they ready
for use. There wero also two fountains in tho
garden Near the middle Of the garden is a round
marble table. Three other table stand under
the coionnade. one OF which is particularly elegant
The three feet carved 10 represent lions claws
The heads above are well executed, and there
I are traces OF yellow color In the manee
The wall paintings III this house the most
remarkable yet discovered In Pompcii They
fI into an earlier and a later group. costly dis
tncuished by differences IN composition and
: handling. The earlier paintings arc found in
the airium, and dlas wings OF the atrium), ard
the large room at the end Of the pcrst To- The
Later pictures the walls Of the fauces the
inner passage leading from tho front door, tho
large apar ment at tho left Of the atrum. the
colonnadr OF the pcristye, the two dining rooms
opemnr on the pcrlstyle, and the small peTiktylc
with III" adjoining room. g. the class b. longs
the painting Of the Genius with the Lares in the
side atr!um Tho paintings Of the first group
arr Characterized b. refinement in tic choice
oi subjects, fertility in the composition. frmnrss
ri touch in the drawing and exquisite finish even
in tho smallest details. The ,olors used ore
simpl' and harmonious violent contrast being
avoided. A number Of these pictures show
tie hand Of n true artist whose work has been
found In no other house, ard the system OF decora
ton is the mos, effective Of l,s kind in romrci
On the Other hand, the decoration OF the walls
paiGrd after the earthquake which occurred
In A. ID Go Is not unlike that found in other houses
upon walls exhibiting the latest style The
derigns ARE skttcay, and without pninstaking
in tn" handling OF details: tho Incs arc coarse
and the colDrs sometimes crude. The pictures
in the panels are by different painters: some 81
h'm W.T." not without skill. YET none rose far
above the average So marked Is the contrast
b"twccn the earlier and the Later decoration in
tho hous" Of the TIL that Il seems mex plicabio
! except on Tho ASSUME ton Of a change Of own,rs.
| PIoi. Mau Is inclined 10 believe that about
tho middle Of the first century Of our era this
was the home Of family Of culture and standing
mt secured for the decoration Of II the beat artist
that could be obtained. bringing him, perhaps,
from fomc OF from Greek city. Within a scoro
Of years aiterward the house passed into tho
hands Of the Ncttii freedmen perhaps whose
taste In matters Of art was far inferior 70 that
oil the former occupants. Then u WAS that a
numb"r Of rooms were rcdccorat.d in a dcgcn-
Style Tho eyCTllsnt mr. tinn Of
large part Of both the earlier and the Later decor.
, atoms gives tho house tho appearance Of an art
gallery. To describe fully and W interpret all
the paintings would require SIN all volume. For
an account OF the moro important Of those ex-
ecut-d In the earlier STYLE must refer the reader
to tho book under review.
II was near the modern village OF Boscoroale
less than two miles north Of Pompcu. that farm
house was oScavatcd In lS9s-04 Especial lntorest
attaches to this rtHa rusitea by reason OF the
rarity OF examples OF tho type and because Of
the character Of tho remains which render II pos
siblo TO determine tho arrange ments with cor.
iainty. II scenS that tho living rooms tho stable
and tho rooms used for tho making OF wine and
oil all under ono roof The size Of the build
ing IL not so great as might have been assumed
from tho variety Of purposes which II served:
tho enclosed area. exclusive Of the threshing door
measures about 1875 by so feet Tho entrance
were kept In tho court The kitchen lay at the
north corner Of the court where, In winter Il would
receive tho full benefit OF tho SUNSHINE The
hearth, on which remains Of nre were found.
stands In tho middle OF tho rooui In the wall at
ono side Is nioho ornAmented TO resemble the
iacndo OF diminuuvo temple In which were placed
the images OF tho household goods A largo
door In the right wall Of tho kitchen opened into
Tho stable Near Il was a stairway leading to
upper rooms In the adjoining corner was q pit,
"hofdinE access to a small cellar In tho oppo-
alto corner IVES reservoir Of lead standing on A
foundation OF masonry; II received water from
reservoir In tho court, and supplied tho bath
On the aamo sido Of tho room is the entrance to
the bath. Tho arrangements OF this bathing apart
mcnt arc in better state OF preserv alton than
those OF any other Roman bath yet discovered:
tho tank and reservoir, with tho conncctingpipes
may now be seen at Pompe In the little museum
near the Forum. ntted up for the exhibition OF
the obiocta found In the Boscoroaie villa. Tie
Aask - NR-a N