Pompeii No.2: Rooms That Inspire

Ca'Toga   |   Carlo Marchiori   |   Ten Speed Press

In this posting, I'm going to share images of several rooms that have been an inspiration for the creation of my Pompeian dining room.

Carlo Marchiori's Pompeian room at Ca'Toga (above) is a masterpiece of Pompeian imagery. Not only is it a technical tour de force, but it shows his complete immersion in the history and symbolism of Pompeian times. The bright reds and stark blacks that we've come to associate with Pompeii can be found in many villas there, most notably in the Villa of the Mysteries.

Alan Dodd   |   Grand Illusions   |   Phaidon

Long before I discovered Carlo Marchiori, I was inspired by this cool, elegant Greek room. It was painted by Alan Dodd in the early 1980s. I think the combination of creamy colors with that pastel green is a large part of its attraction, and note that the wainscoting is a subtle complementary green.

Pompeii   |   Coarelli   |   Riverside

In fact, what I think of as a painted wainscoting is a Pompeian design element that I want to incorporate into my own room. Above is an image from the House of the Vettii, in Pompeii. What a gorgeous color scheme!

Antiques in Italian Interiors   |   Roberto Valeriani, Mario Ciampi   |   Verbavolant

This room from Palazzo Milzetti, Fainza, Italy, is a little too busy for my taste, but I am inspired by in awe of the detailing.

Antiques in Italian Interiors   |   Roberto Valeriani, Mario Ciampi   |   Verbavolant

A close inspection (I got out my magnifying glass) reveals an artist who was so familiar with anatomy and other natural forms that his work appears to be akin to effortless sketching.

Neoclassicism in the North   |   Håkan Groth, Fritz von der Schulenburg   |   Rizzoli

I would be very happy to inhabit this 1790s room, which was an inner salon belonging to Prince Fredrik Adolf of Sweden. But while I appreciate it's delicate refinement, I'm looking for a bigger color statement.

Neoclassicism in the North   |   Håkan Groth, Fritz von der Schulenburg   |   Rizzoli

This gorgeous room also belonged to Prince Fredrik Adolf, though in a different castle. The late Duke of Devonshire had similar decoration in his private study at Chatsworth. It was his favorite room there, in part because it was also the smallest!

Antiques in Italian Interiors | Roberto Valeriani, Mario Ciampi | Verbavolant

This room is not Pompeian, but the fantastic architectural construction has some of the feel of Pompeian mural decoration. It's from the Villa Godi (1537), one of Andrea Palladio's fist architectural designs. Appropriately, the figure sitting in the alcove is reputed to be the young Palladio.

Neoclassicism in the North   |   Håkan Groth, Fritz von der Schulenburg   |   Rizzoli

The Grand Salon belonging to King Gustaf III of Sweden is considered by many to be the finest Pompeian-style room in Europe.

www.visitthecapitol.gov

In the United States, one of the finest Pompeian rooms is the private meeting room of the Senate Appropriations Committee. It was painted in the 1850s by Constantino Brumidi, who was the artist also responsible for the decoration inside the Capitol dome.

Those are some of the many rooms I studied to draw inspiration for my own Pompeian room. In my next posting, I'll begin painting, but this would be a good time to pause and clarify two thoughts that are bound to cross your mind as you watch the progress of my room:

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