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Unique exhibition of Roman-era painting in Rome
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-09-25 10:13

Unique exhibition of Roman-era painting in Rome

A piece of a fresco taken from the home of a noble Roman in Pompeii, is one of the 100 paintings from an exhibition in Rome called "The Paintings of an Empire", September 24, 2009.[Agencies]

One large wall panel contains tiny figures evoking everyday life painted in white on a black background.

The panel, taken from the Villa della Farnesina, a lush house of the late Roman republican period that was discovered in 1879 along the banks of the Tiber and believed to have been the home of Giulia, daughter of the emperor Augustus.

The lighting on the panel aims to reconstruct the effect that flickering candlelight would have had 2,000 years ago, leaving the hosts or guests of the house with the impression that the tiny figures were walking or the tiny ships sailing.

Despite its weight, the panel seems to be floating.

The exhibition also aims to show how Roman painting was the successor of Greek painting and how it went on to influence Byzantine, Mediaeval, and modern European painting.

The exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale (www.scuderiequirinale.it) is open until January 17.

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