Roman Painting

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Ancient Roman buildings were vibrantly colorful, thanks to wall paintings decorated with elaborate imagery, including mythological pictures, landscapes, and scenes that reflected viewers' lived experiences. An abundance of Roman wall paintings have survived from the sites of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae, which were buried in the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. In this seminar, we will examine the archaeology and chronology of these paintings, their sources of inspiration, and the powerful meanings they had for the people who lived among them. Students will learn to consider and reflect upon a variety of visual media as well as to understand literary sources that illuminate the central role that paintings played in ancient Roman life and thought,