Portrait of Husband & Wife
Factual Information:
From: House VII,2,6, Pompeii, Italy.
Period: 70-79 CE
Period: 70-79 CE
General Information:
This ancient piece of portraiture is one of the first of its kind to be found, of rather unimportant people. This artwork was commissioned by the people represented here, something uncommon for rather normal Roman citizens, as this was kind of portrait was usually only found in king's palaces or very important figures such as gods. The husband and wife wished to present themselves to guests in their home as thoughtful and well-read, almsot like scholars. The portrait was individualized for their likeness, but the poses they hold are standard in portraits of the time.
Why This Artwork?
This Artwork was another example of getting a glimpse into the cultural and social structure in ancient Roman times. We can see here that the Romans were prosperous enough to be able to commission works for themselves, even rather unimportant citizens, who are not kings or other important people as normally represented before Roman times. This artwork also shows us that they did not idealize themselves as most other portraits are. All of this gives important inside looks into their culture.