The House of Orpheus

Fausto and Felice Niccolini, Le case ed i monumenti di Pompeii: disegnati e descritti (Naples, 1854-1896), Volume 2, Plate 74

This plate exemplifies the importance of the Niccolini Brothers' work for contemporary archaeologists. Although this fresco from the House of Orpheus is now much damaged, this image from The Houses and Monuments of Pompeii records its appearance in the nineteenth century. It also reflects Fausto and Felice's interest in the private, everyday life of the city's inhabitants. This painting of Orpheus adorns a garden wall, suggesting a parallel between the depicted mythological landscape and the house's actual garden. To the right of the panel representing Orpheus, we see a window that offers a view into the dining room, whose walls are painted in a bright orange tone.