House of the Painters at Work

House of the Painters at Work

 

House of the Painters at Work  House of the Painters at Work

The House of Artists at Work or House of the Painters at Work is now excavated along with the adjacent House of Chaste Lovers as part of the ongoing excavations, which cover most of the southern end of Regio IX, Insula 12. The building received its name from the unfinished decorations in the large room (k) in the southeast corner. Pots and brushes were found in the room, and some of the central panels were only drawn in outline of the proposed decorative scene. For all these signs, archaeologists have found that artists worked here during the eruption. Their bodies were not found and nothing is known about their fate. Quite possibly they were able to escape.

The House of the Painters at Work has an irregular layout and may have been a mixed commercial and residential complex during an eruption. The house covers the width of the insula with the entrance to each of the adjacent streets.

 

House of the Painters at Work  House of the Painters at Work

The doorway (a) on the west side (the official door number that has not yet been assigned) seems to be the main entrance of the House of the Painters at Work, as the east doorway (j) leads directly to the kitchen area and the restroom. Therefore it was a black entrance for the servants. The rooms on the western side of the mansion were partially excavated, and the exact relationship between some rooms has not yet been determined. The two rooms that have been cleaned are either for storage or sleeping (b) and (c). The bedroom-cubiculum (b) is decorated with frescoes in the fourth style with white panels which depict figures framing the central white panels containing a decorative scene. These panels are located above the bottom red frieze. The upper zone consists of geometric shapes on a white background. Room (c) has a window in the eastern wall and it is also decorated with fourth-style frescoes with white panels framed in red above the lower red frieze. The room has a beautiful mosaic floor in a black and white geometric pattern with an additional rectangular mosaic denoting a threshold.

The fairly large area of ​​the House of the Painters at Work, which was partially excavated, is occupied by the garden (d) and the surrounding rooms. The peristyle, surrounded by columns from three sides, is decorated with a red panel frieze framed by a yellow frame under a simple white upper area. Room (e) in the northwestern corner of the peristyle, apparently, was left without decoration and used as a repository, as evidenced by the discovery of a number of amphoras found on the north wall. The adjacent room (f) is decorated with frescoes in the fourth style with white frame panels containing the central scenes above the lower one decorated with a red frieze. The upper zone is also decorated with small frame panels containing figures, separated by garlands.

 

House of the Painters at Work  House of the Painters at Work

House of the Painters at Work