Domus: Wall Painting in the Roman House (Getty Trust Publications: J. Paul Getty Museum) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Umberto Pappalardo (Author), Luciano Romano (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This guide to the frescoed walls of 28 early first-millennium Italian villas is hugely expensive, but worth it; turning its pages feels as intimate as standing in the rooms themselves. At 11 1/4"×12 3/4", the gorgeous full-bleeds among the 350 color illustrations (with three foldouts) on choice textured stock feel like walls, and the colors, including the subtly shaded blues of the Villa of Livia's long east wall, are superb. University of Naples architectural historian Mazzoleni contributes an essay detailing the links between Roman architecture and the lifelike perspectives of the paintings. Pappalardo, director of excavations at Herculaneum, provides texts on all the sites, most of which are in Pompeii and Herculaneum, and only partially intact. He provides commentary on the scenes of gods, animals, grand palaces, cherubs and plants, but, while informative and unobtrusive, his notes are unnecessary: the images have a depth and silence that communicate directly and make much of Renaissance painting look brassy, if not shallow.
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Product Description

This is a major study of illusionistic wall painting in the Roman houses of Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as those in Boscoreale, Oplontis, and Rome itself. Two essays precede a magnificently illustrated guide to twenty-eight important villas with 350 color illustrations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Getty Publications (January 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892367660
• ISBN-13: 978-0892367665
• Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 10.8 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #569,886 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have Book, January 30, 2006

By	D. A Wend (Buffalo Grove, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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I saw a copy of Domus while in Naples and knew I would have to order a copy when I returned home. The book is beautifully produced with an excellent essay by Donatella Mazzolini on the architecture of Roman houses, focusing on those under discussion in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Rome. This is followed by an essay by Umberto Pappalando on the Domus Romana, focusing on the development of houses and gardens. As good as these essays are it is the pages dealing with the houses themselves that is jaw-dropping. The houses are arranged in sections following the development of the Roman domus and include color pictures and diagrams of the houses. There are short introductions to the homes followed by a portfolio section consisting of close up pictures of the frescos printed on non-glossy textured paper that gives a better impression of how the painting appears to the observer. These reproductions are superb.

The choice of buildings is impressive. There are far too many to list but among them are: from Pompeii the House of the Faun, the House of Julius Polybius, the Villa of Mysteries, the House of the Golden Bracelet, the House of the Tragic Poet and the House of the Labyrinth; from Herculaneum: the Samnite House, the House of the Skeleton, the House of the Grand Portal, the Collegium of the Augustales; from Rome: the House of the Griffins, Livia's House on the Palatine and at Prima Porta and the Domus Aurea. The Villa of Poppea at Oplontis gets special attention in the book, and a fresco from the house appears on the cover.

This book is a must for anyone interested in ancient Roman houses and their decoration. If you have even visited Pompeii, Herculaneum and the other villas destroyed by Mount Vesuvius you will enjoy this book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous in every respect, January 6, 2006

By	Bruce Brocka (Quad Cities) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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A wonderful work in all respects - scholarship, printing, presentation, photography. Some of the paintings are more like wall paper samples, the paper and printing is that good.

Another great work in the Getty catalog. A must have for any serious student of Roman Art/Architecture.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful but pricey, December 5, 2008

By	Edward Yarborough (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Many lovely color photos, but I was dismayed to note a surprising number of editorial oversights/mistakes in the text, very disappointing in a work this expensive from such a classy publisher. "Pompeii: the History, Life and Art of the Buried City," published by White Star, is equally beautiful but considerably less expensive and thus a better value.