39. House of the Vettii

House of Vetti. Pompeii, Italy. Imperial Roman. c. second century B.C.E.; rebuilt c. 62-79 C.E. Cut stone and fresco 

The House of the Vettii offers key insights into domestic architecture and interior decoration in the last days of the city of Pompeii. The house itself is architecturally significant not only because of its size but also because of the indications it gives of important changes that were underway in the design of Roman houses during the third quarter of the first century C.E.

Townhouse (domus) in Pompeii, Italy

Preserved by the Mt. Vesuvius eruption in 79 CE

Above: plan of the city of Pompeii; House of the Vettii is encircled.

Above: Plan of the House of the Vettii, as seen from above (c. 79 CE)

Above: floorpan of the House of the Vettii, c. 79 CE

Above: View through the atrium to the peristyle, c. 79 CE

Wall paintings from the inside of the house of Vettii. 

Vocabulary on Roman Lifestyle

Domus: roman townhouse

Clientes: clients

Patronus: 

patron

Fides: trust

Pietas: dutifulness

Patrocinium: benefaction given by a patron unto his clients

Mos maiorum: ancestral custom

Architecture Vocabulary 

Atrium: large centralized reception hall in a Roman house

Fauces: narrow doorway into a house off the street

Alae: the wings flanking the atrium in a traditional Roman house

Cubicula: bedrooms bounding the alae (wings) of a Roman house 

Tablinum: office of the head of house, located within the house

Paterfamiliae: head of a household

Pars urbana: the public part of a household

Pars rustica: the private part of the household contains courtyard, kitchen, dining room, and small garden.)

Oecus: dining room

Culina: kitchen

Hortus: small garden

Arca: lockboxes used for storing valuables in Roman houses, often placed on display in atrium    

Impluvium: basin for collecting rain water 

Context

1. Many wealthy families of Pompeii fled to other Roman cities after Earthquake of Pompeii in 62 CE 
1. Created a vacuum of wealthy families; a new upper class emerged consisting mainly of freedmen
2. Conviva and Restitutus were both freedmen, new to wealth and status.
2.  House owned by Aulus Vettius Conviva and his brother, Aulus Vettius Restitutus. 
1. Conviva was an augustalis, a position of the highest civic office a freedman could attain. 
2. To become augustalis like Conviva, one had to make a significant donation to a public works project.
3. House excavated first from 1894-1896. 
4. 2 of the rooms opening onto the peristyle were still being painted at the time of the eruption
5. Speculated the brothers got their wealth from being wine merchants, and effectively bought their elite status 
6. Domestic art (wall painting and sculpture) after the Earthquake became markedly sexual and less morally clean. 
7. Newly rich homes had art with mythological and cult paintings to impress their guests and pronounce their status. 

Form

1. Covers 1,100 sq. meters
2. Demonstrates Pompeii's late artistic and architectural styles (was still being completed at Vesuvius eruption.)
3. No office space (tablinum): could show they have no differential between public and private affairs (they were social climbers; not extremely private perhaps.)
4. The house's paintings and interior decoration indicate a theme of forward-thinking 
5. Layout demonstrates the relatively public nature of Roman houses
1. Large entertainment rooms also served as places of commerce and business
2. Only rooms that were truly private were servant's quarters and women's "gynaeceum"

Content

1. Wall paintings, called "decorative schema" have meaning disputed amongst Art Historians
1. Some think wall paintings represent the transition from Pompeii's 3rd to 4th style of painting
2. Others think the paintings are examples of only 4th-style-Pompeiian painting.
2. Fourth style wall paintings were generally expansive and imitated higher art; they turned rooms into galleries*
3. Contains two large, central halls (atria)
4. Largest of the rooms opening on the peristyle contains wall paintings in red and black
1. Has detailed motif of putti/erotes: mythical winged gods of love
5. The impluvium (water basin) lies at the center of the atrium for collecting rain. 
6. Increasedly sexual nature of the paintings and artwork marks a decline in Pompeii's moral standards and decency. 
1. Phallic figures, god Priapus, females being sexual objects and raped by men and gods.
2. Depictions of nude males, however, symbolized "fertility" and protection of the house...
7. Graffiti found on the house suggests prostitution was a common and inexpensive ordeal in Pompeii at the time
8. Wall paintings depict Cupids collecting grapes; it was later discovered that Pompeii was home to great vineyards 

Function 

1. To display the wealth and status (albeit newly gained) of the brothers Vettii
1. 2 lockboxes for storing valuables were displayed proudly in the vestibulum
2. Painting of the god Prianus was displayed in the vestibule; he weighs phallus against money 
1. Painting may have showed the Vettii's unique ambitions and motivations for wealth, differing from the traditional Roman wealthy families' ways.  
3. The smaller atrium functioned as a service area 
4. Peristyle and its rooms functioned for dining and entertainment 
2. Insight into Pompeiian domestic architecture and design (specifically at the transition from 3rd to 4th style)
3. Significant in size 
4. Indicates the changes in design of Roman Houses around the 3rd quarter of the first century CE. 
5. Indicates social mobility in Pompeii around that time; brothers went from freedmen to very wealthy 
6. Leads to historical discoveries (like in 1970 --> discovered that Pompeii had grown grapes; paintings in house depict grape-picking)

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Roman Painting Styles

1. First Pompeiian Style
1. During Rome's Republic period, which ended in 27 CE
2. Originated from 3rd century Hellenistic Alexandria
3. Colorful, brightly painted walls of faux-marble (ordinary Romans couldn't afford real marble, so they imitated)
4. Each marble was connected by stucco, giving a 3D effect.
5. Used to decorate walls in ordinary Romans' homes
2. Second Pompeiian Style
1. First seen c. 80 BCE, popular until 100 CE
2. Incorporated elements of First style, such as faux-marbles at the bases of walls
3. Attempted to create optical illusion of looking through a window
1. Created depth using columns, stoa, and buildings
4. Creates a sense of motion and depth using many vanishing points
5. Action taking place in paintings is meant to envelop and involve the viewer 
3. Third Pompeiian Style
1. Early 1st century CE
2. Flat planes of color, like red, incised with minute details
3. Art depicted everyday objects 
4. Feature small landscapes
5. Introduced Egyptian imagery, including the  Nile and Egyptian motifs and deities.
4. Fourth Pompeiian Style
1. Popularized around 50 CE
2. Combination of the first 3 styles
1. Faux-marble blocks line bases of walls (1st)
2. Naturalistic architectural depictions (2nd)
3. Flat planes of color and minute details (3rd)
3. Introduced central panel pictures, but on a much larger scale
4. Developed by eccentric painter named Famulus (designed Emperor Nero's Golden Palace)
5. Seen best in House of Vettii

Sources:

Khan Academy 

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/wall-painting/a/roman-wall-painting-styles

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/wall-painting/a/pompeii-house-of-the-vettii

MIT House of the Vettii Page

http://web.mit.edu/course/21/21h.405/www/vettii/sources.html