Saturday 22 May 2010

Query: fresco of a blind man with dog?

I'm posting a query on behalf of Joanne Briggs, in the hope that someone might be able to help her identify a fresco of a blind man with a dog (or at least a fresco that may in the past have been interpreted as such):

"Perhaps the source I have used is referring more to paintings in Pompeii than in Herculaneum. I will give you the source utilized, and the quote, and if you can shed further light on this I would be most appreciative. The book is entitled "The Buried Cities of Vesuvius: Herculaneum and Pompeii" published in 1895 by Hazell, Watson and Viney, Id. London. The author is John Fletcher Horne. The quote concerns the typology of Pompeian paintings and one in particular that depicts "a blind beggar being led by a dog and asking alms of a lady.""

5 comments:

Jo Berry said...

Could it be this one, from the House of the Dioscuri? - http://www.utexas.edu/courses/romanciv/Romancivimages21/4thstyletraveler.jpg.
It is sometimes interpreted as a man buying a potion from a witch. It's now in the Naples Museum.

Jo Berry said...

A comment from Karen Liljenberg

'It could be one of the faded forum life scenes shown in Mary Beard's
"Pompeii, the life of a Roman town", p. 74 illustration 26 - it shows a lady giving "a handout to a scruffy beggar (plus dog)." He also has a stick, so could be blind.'

This is one of the forum scenes from the atrium of the Praedia of Julia Felix.

Jo Berry said...

A comment from Ia McIllwaine:

'I think the painting referred to is in the House of the Dioscuri at
Pompeii. It is inv. 9106 and is illustrated on p. 311 of La pittura
pompeiana (2009) which gives several bibliographical references, e.g. Curtius (1929) p, 324, Catalogo MANN I,1, p, 136, etc. I can give you the full quote, if you don't have access to the catalogue.
Ia'

Jackie and Bob at pompeiiinpictures said...

The picture of a traveller form the House of the Dioscuri (MANN 9106) can be seen at http://pompeiiinpictures.com/pompeiiinpictures/R6/6 09 06 part 10.htm.

The other picture of a woman giving alms to a man with a dog (MANN 9059)from the House of Julia Felix can be seen at
http://pompeiiinpictures.com/pompeiiinpictures/R2/2 04 03.htm

Jackie and Bob

Jackie and Bob at pompeiiinpictures said...

Having looked at the book by Horne it looks as if he is describing the series of the Forum Frieze pictures. This would suggest the MANN 9059 picture from Julia Felix is the one you seek.

Jackie and Bob

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