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Roman Hermaphrodite Fresco
Fresco fragment depicting a hermaphrodite displaying both male and female anatomy, 2nd half of 3rd century CE, from Capua. (Museo Barracco, Rome)
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Akrotiri Frescoes
The Bronze Age frescoes from Akrotiri on the Aegean island of Thera (modern-day Santorini) provide some of the most famous images from the ancient Greek world. Sometime between 1650 and 1550 BCE Thera suffered a devastating earthquake which...
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Fresco of Duck and Tripod, Columbarium 3, Vigna Codini
This fresco is on the first landing of the columbarium discovered in 1852 CE at the Vigna Codini, on the strip of land between Via Latina and Via Appia. The fresco has crumbled from the wall, revealing the first-century CE opus reticulatum...
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Lyre Player and Bird Fresco
A fresco from the throne room of the Palace of Nestor at Pylos, often referred to as the 'Orpheus Fresco' depicts a seated lyre player and a bird in flight. It dates to c. 1300 BCE and this watercolour reconstruction was completed by Piet...
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Fresco with Melpomene
A fresco fragment depicting Melpomene, the Muse of Tragedy, from the House of Julia Felix in Pompeii, 62-79 CE. (now in Louvre Museum, Paris)
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Garden Fresco, Livia's Villa, Rome
A section of the garden fresco from the triclinium or dining room from Livia's Villa, Rome, 1st century BCE. The fresco runs around all four walls and gives a 360° panorama of a luxuriant garden with birds and insects against a brilliant...
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Lilies Fresco, Akrotiri
The Lilies Fresco from Akrotiri on the Aegean island of Thera, modern-day Santorini (also known as the Spring Fresco). From Room 2 of Building Delta, c. 17th century BCE. Lilies or papyrus are depicted growing from colourful volcanic rocks...
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Minoan Frescoes
Frescoes are the source of some of the most striking imagery handed down to us from the Minoan civilization of Bronze Age Crete (2000-1500 BCE). Further, without written records, they are often the only source, along with decorated pottery...
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Fresco of Bird and Dangling Grotesque Mask, Columbarium Vigna Codini 3
High up on the wall almost lost in the shadows above a loculus of this columbarium one can just make out the outlines of a bird walking on a flowered garland from which hangs a grotesque mask. The columbarium was excavated in 1852 CE. The...
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Griffin Fresco, Knossos, Crete
A detail of the griffin fresco reproduction from the throne room, palace of Knossos, Crete, (1700-1450 BCE).