Skip to main content

Visit Main Menu Block

  • Hours & Admission
  • Accessibility & Amenities
  • Tours & Group Visits
  • Visitor Guidelines

Exhibitions and Events Main Menu Block

  • Exhibitions
  • Events

Art and Design Main Menu Block

  • The Collection
  • Projects & Publications
  • Past Exhibitions

Footer Main

  • Become a Member
  • Give
  • Who We Are
  • Opportunities
  • Rent the Museum

Image

Previous 1 / 1 Next

Roman

Fragment of a wall depicting a candelabrum, 14-37 CE

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Roman

Title

Fragment of a wall depicting a candelabrum

Year

14-37 CE

Medium

Fresco and lime painting

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • tempera

Dimensions

150.5 x 35.9 cm (59 5/16 x 14 1/8 inches)

Place

From the vicinity of Pompeii

Type

  • Paintings

Credit

Mary B. Jackson Fund

Object Number

41.019

Projects & Publications

Publications

Roman Paintings and Mosaics

Catalogue of the Classical Collection

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries

Although this wall painting of a candelabrum is presented as an independent work, it was once part of a larger fresco painted directly on the interior walls of a villa from the vicinity of Pompeii. Within this original work, each element complemented one another, as well as the room they adorned. The compositional elements of this fragment, specifically the vine-shaped volutes of the candelabrum, would have been viewed as an extension of the room’s architectural elements. This would have exaggerated the size of the room, creating a heightened sense of grandeur within the space. The prosperity of the house is expressed in the framed still life depicting a rooster approaching several varieties of fruit. As the juxtaposition of birds and food was commonly associated with the sumptuous ingredients of the Roman banquet, this image would have hinted at the lavish table presented to villa guests, thereby communicating the proprietor’s affluence and social status.

Weiss Ancient Art Gallery

Related

Roman

Fragment of a wall depicting a candelabrum, 14-37 CE

More objects +

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Fragment of a wall depicting a candelabrum with the accession number of 41.019. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

RISD Museum

  •  Facebook
  •  Twitter
  •  Instagram
  •  Vimeo
  •  Pinterest
  •  SoundCloud

Footer Main

  • Become a Member
  • Give
  • Who We Are
  • Opportunities
  • Rent the Museum

Footer Secondary

  • Image Request
  • Press Office
  • Rent the Museum
  • Terms of Use