DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49928#0039
PLATE IX.
Fig. i.—Thetis in the Workshop of Hephaestus.
Wall-painting from House No. 7 8 in the Strada
Stabiana, Pompeii. Now in the Museum, Naples. Graeco-
Roman, First Century a.d.
Helbig, Wandgemalde, No. 1318, Pl. 17.
Seyffert, Diet, of Ant., p. 644.
BlPmner, Technologic, iv., p. 264, fig. 28 (part only).
Daremberg et Saglio, Diet., fig. 942.
Hephaestus is seated near the anvil, and with the help of
.an attendant, holds up the shield he has made for Achilles,
that Thetis may admire it. The shield is covered with a
hammered design, but is so bright that Thetis is mirrored in
it. The god is clad in a smith’s dress ; a shirt with one
shoulder bare (the exomis) and a felt cap (pilleus). On the
ground before Thetis lie the greaves and cuirass, while to the
left a workman is engaged in chasing an ornament on the
helmet. He works with a finely-pointed graver or burin (ef.
Pl. 69, fig. 15) and with a small hammer. A heavier hammer
lies beside, while near him on the anvil block is a heap of
tools, among which a sledge and a pick-axe-head can be distin-
guished. The object which Hephaestus holds in his left hand
is not clearly recognisable, but it may possibly be the handle
of the shield (</. Pl. 36, 9).
Fig. 2.—An Architect.
Painting from a Grave on the Appian Road. Formerly
IN THE CaPPONI COLLECTION, NOW IN THE MUSEO KlRCHER-
IANO, Rome.
Grivand de la Vincelle, Arts et Metiers des Anciens,
1819, Pl. 22.
Daremberg et Saglio, Diet., fig. 464.
The architect holds in his left hand a ruler and a tablet, on
which he is inscribing a plan, or other notes, with the stylus
which he holds in his right hand. In the background are a
square and a plumbline on a triangular frame (yf. fig. 11).
Fig. 3.—Lady Painting.
Wall-painting from the Casa dell’ Imperatrice di
Russia. In the Museum, Naples, i ft. 3 in. square.
Graeco-Roman, First Century a.d.
Helbig, Wandgemalde, No. 1444; Pl. 4.
BlBmner, Technologic, iv., p. 460, fig. 69.
The artist sits before a table on the edge of which the
drawing board or panel is held at a slant by a figure, whose
head appears above it. The artist holds a palette in her left
hand, but her right hand is too much damaged to allow the
brush to be seen.
Behind her sits a lady turning round to look at the picture.
Fig. 4.—Youth Painting a Stele.
Red-figured Painting on a Waterpot (hydria}. From
Vulcl In the Museo Gregoriano at the Vatican. Attic,
of the Fifth Century b.c.
Museo Gregoriano, ii., Pl. 16.
BlBmner, Technologic, iv., p. 464, fig. 74.
Jahn, Berichte d. sdchs. Gesellschaft, 1867, Pl. v. 5.
A naked youth is painting a pattern on the cornice of a
sepulchral stele, which stands on a basis of four pillars (cf Pl.
94, fig. 1). That this was a common practice is shown by the
large number of such stelae that retain traces of colour ff. Pl.
34, fig· Ο· _
Fig. 5.—Erection of a Tomb.
Relief. Late Roman Period. In the Lateran Museum,
Rome. 4 ft. 3 in. w. by 3 ft. 4 in. h.
Mon. d. Inst, v., Pl. 8.
Ann. d. Inst., 1849, p. 382 (Brunn).
Benndorf-Schoene, Die ant. Bildw. in Lat., No. 344.
Helbig, Fiihrer, p. 519, No. 667.
BlBmner, Technologie, iii., p. 118, fig. n.
The erection of a tomb is depicted. It is in two stories,
the upper being a chapel approached by a flight of eight steps,
the lower, the mortuary chamber. Above the roof of the
chapel or temple a scene is added which is probably a view of
the inside. It shows a woman reclining on a couch, holding
a dove in her right hand. At the head of the couch is a
servant offering incense at an altar, while at the foot, three
children are playing. To the right is a kind of reredos, much
resembling a triumphal arch, the centre division containing a
statue of Venus, those at the side being occupied by candle-
sticks. The whole is surmounted by three masks. On the
left is a huge candelabrum with a brightly burning brazier.
If this scene represents the inside of the temple the woman
reclining on the couch is the deceased, receiving the honours
of the heroic dead, the statue in the reredos being probably
a portrait of her in the character of Venus. The three
children are perhaps represented by the three masks and
also by the three portrait busts which are carved on the outside
of the temple.
The sacrificial character of the whole is shown by a frieze
which joins the roof with the relief above. This is divided by
eagles holding garlands into four partitions, and in these are
the aspergillum, bucranium, patera and urceus used in sacrifice
(</i Pl· 19, figs· 6-8).
The decoration of the temple is very elaborate; a portrait
bust of the deceased appears in the pediment and the three
Fates are in panels on the side (Atropos with a roll,
Lachesis with roll, pen and urn, Clotho with scales and ball
of thread), in addition to the three busts of the children.
The wall of the mortuary chamber is also highly ornamented,
the most characteristic feature being a shrine of Hercules, in
which the god appears seated on a basket, his attributes (bow,
club and cup) being arranged in the gable above. This relief
is to the left of a door which is half open and gives a glimpse
of a woman, who seems to be seated mourning. In front of
the temple steps is an altar with a fire brightly burning under
a curious baldacchino. Below the altar a grating gives ventila-
tion to the mortuary chamber.
Further on the left is a huge crane, extending to the full
height of the relief, worked by a treadmill. The arm (gib)
which carries the pulley block consists of two large beams
(struts) held together by several stout cross-bars and provided
with rungs to enable the workmen to use the structure as a
17 D
Fig. i.—Thetis in the Workshop of Hephaestus.
Wall-painting from House No. 7 8 in the Strada
Stabiana, Pompeii. Now in the Museum, Naples. Graeco-
Roman, First Century a.d.
Helbig, Wandgemalde, No. 1318, Pl. 17.
Seyffert, Diet, of Ant., p. 644.
BlPmner, Technologic, iv., p. 264, fig. 28 (part only).
Daremberg et Saglio, Diet., fig. 942.
Hephaestus is seated near the anvil, and with the help of
.an attendant, holds up the shield he has made for Achilles,
that Thetis may admire it. The shield is covered with a
hammered design, but is so bright that Thetis is mirrored in
it. The god is clad in a smith’s dress ; a shirt with one
shoulder bare (the exomis) and a felt cap (pilleus). On the
ground before Thetis lie the greaves and cuirass, while to the
left a workman is engaged in chasing an ornament on the
helmet. He works with a finely-pointed graver or burin (ef.
Pl. 69, fig. 15) and with a small hammer. A heavier hammer
lies beside, while near him on the anvil block is a heap of
tools, among which a sledge and a pick-axe-head can be distin-
guished. The object which Hephaestus holds in his left hand
is not clearly recognisable, but it may possibly be the handle
of the shield (</. Pl. 36, 9).
Fig. 2.—An Architect.
Painting from a Grave on the Appian Road. Formerly
IN THE CaPPONI COLLECTION, NOW IN THE MUSEO KlRCHER-
IANO, Rome.
Grivand de la Vincelle, Arts et Metiers des Anciens,
1819, Pl. 22.
Daremberg et Saglio, Diet., fig. 464.
The architect holds in his left hand a ruler and a tablet, on
which he is inscribing a plan, or other notes, with the stylus
which he holds in his right hand. In the background are a
square and a plumbline on a triangular frame (yf. fig. 11).
Fig. 3.—Lady Painting.
Wall-painting from the Casa dell’ Imperatrice di
Russia. In the Museum, Naples, i ft. 3 in. square.
Graeco-Roman, First Century a.d.
Helbig, Wandgemalde, No. 1444; Pl. 4.
BlBmner, Technologic, iv., p. 460, fig. 69.
The artist sits before a table on the edge of which the
drawing board or panel is held at a slant by a figure, whose
head appears above it. The artist holds a palette in her left
hand, but her right hand is too much damaged to allow the
brush to be seen.
Behind her sits a lady turning round to look at the picture.
Fig. 4.—Youth Painting a Stele.
Red-figured Painting on a Waterpot (hydria}. From
Vulcl In the Museo Gregoriano at the Vatican. Attic,
of the Fifth Century b.c.
Museo Gregoriano, ii., Pl. 16.
BlBmner, Technologic, iv., p. 464, fig. 74.
Jahn, Berichte d. sdchs. Gesellschaft, 1867, Pl. v. 5.
A naked youth is painting a pattern on the cornice of a
sepulchral stele, which stands on a basis of four pillars (cf Pl.
94, fig. 1). That this was a common practice is shown by the
large number of such stelae that retain traces of colour ff. Pl.
34, fig· Ο· _
Fig. 5.—Erection of a Tomb.
Relief. Late Roman Period. In the Lateran Museum,
Rome. 4 ft. 3 in. w. by 3 ft. 4 in. h.
Mon. d. Inst, v., Pl. 8.
Ann. d. Inst., 1849, p. 382 (Brunn).
Benndorf-Schoene, Die ant. Bildw. in Lat., No. 344.
Helbig, Fiihrer, p. 519, No. 667.
BlBmner, Technologie, iii., p. 118, fig. n.
The erection of a tomb is depicted. It is in two stories,
the upper being a chapel approached by a flight of eight steps,
the lower, the mortuary chamber. Above the roof of the
chapel or temple a scene is added which is probably a view of
the inside. It shows a woman reclining on a couch, holding
a dove in her right hand. At the head of the couch is a
servant offering incense at an altar, while at the foot, three
children are playing. To the right is a kind of reredos, much
resembling a triumphal arch, the centre division containing a
statue of Venus, those at the side being occupied by candle-
sticks. The whole is surmounted by three masks. On the
left is a huge candelabrum with a brightly burning brazier.
If this scene represents the inside of the temple the woman
reclining on the couch is the deceased, receiving the honours
of the heroic dead, the statue in the reredos being probably
a portrait of her in the character of Venus. The three
children are perhaps represented by the three masks and
also by the three portrait busts which are carved on the outside
of the temple.
The sacrificial character of the whole is shown by a frieze
which joins the roof with the relief above. This is divided by
eagles holding garlands into four partitions, and in these are
the aspergillum, bucranium, patera and urceus used in sacrifice
(</i Pl· 19, figs· 6-8).
The decoration of the temple is very elaborate; a portrait
bust of the deceased appears in the pediment and the three
Fates are in panels on the side (Atropos with a roll,
Lachesis with roll, pen and urn, Clotho with scales and ball
of thread), in addition to the three busts of the children.
The wall of the mortuary chamber is also highly ornamented,
the most characteristic feature being a shrine of Hercules, in
which the god appears seated on a basket, his attributes (bow,
club and cup) being arranged in the gable above. This relief
is to the left of a door which is half open and gives a glimpse
of a woman, who seems to be seated mourning. In front of
the temple steps is an altar with a fire brightly burning under
a curious baldacchino. Below the altar a grating gives ventila-
tion to the mortuary chamber.
Further on the left is a huge crane, extending to the full
height of the relief, worked by a treadmill. The arm (gib)
which carries the pulley block consists of two large beams
(struts) held together by several stout cross-bars and provided
with rungs to enable the workmen to use the structure as a
17 D