DOMUS AUGUSTI on Palatinus

[Rugser]

House of August on the Palatine hill
Photo of the frescos of four new restored rooms.

http://www.repubblica.it/2006/08/gallerie/spettacoliecultura/palatino-augusto/18.html

[slokind]

All my life I have wanted to see these, which are so critical to understanding Augustan taste, but have heretofore seen only a couple of detail photos.  Thank you!  Pat L.

[Roma_Orbis]

Pat,

  Could these paintings be of a later style than Augustus period? This is the House of August but may it have been redecorated at a later date? Did this decoration stayed in the same fashion for dozen or even hundreds of years without changing?

Jérôme

[slokind]

This wall painting looks a little earlier (less elements of "Third Style" wall design) than the villa at Boscotrecase; its tendril work is quite like that on the Ara Pacis; it seems to be a little earlier than the stucco ceiling of the Casa Farnesina.  Augustus's reign was quite long, after all.  Both the Boscotrecase and the Farnesina have been associated with Agrippa Postumus, towards the end of Augustus's reign, so I might guess that this is pretty near the Christian ˆZeitwende".  It can't be much later than the Villa at Boscoreale.  Of course, we perhaps should take into account that the Imperial family itself was in the vanguard.  The changes that Vitruvius deplored are just beginning to be adumbrated.  That's my understanding of it.  Roger Ling, Roman Painting (CUP 1991)  seems to date it 30-20 BC, so I'm sure my dating isn't too early: he's the specialist.  He dates the Farnesina stucco ceilings c. 20 BC.
Pat L.