Wall Painting Fragment from the Villa at Boscotrecase

This wall painting fragment comes from the so-called 'Mythological Room' of the villa at Boscotrecase (room 19) where it would have decorated the top register of red-paneled walls. Preserved here is the upper golden register, framed by two narrow white bands in which appears a decorative fleur-de-lis in red pigment. The lower portion of the fragment preserves remains of the bright red panel that would have occupied the lower portion of the wall. Two vignettes appear in the gold register. On the left, in a square panel is a figure. She wears a blue headdress and red draped garment. In profile, the figure kneels on a green cushion with her arms raised at her waist (1). On the right, two birds stand in a puddle of water: one bends to drink while the second stands upright. The details of both vignettes are only partially preserved because the secco paint has worn. 1. Compare to figures in the Black Room from the Boscotrecase Villa in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 20.192.2.