Two postings ago, I revealed the primary wall of the Pompeii Room, finished above the green and red that could be considered a wainscoting.
Today, we'll look at the opposite wall, where I'll add a mourning dove on the ledge above Marcus Aurelius' portrait; it will complete that portion of the mural to the same degree.
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| Mosaic from fineartamerica.com, all others, The Art of Pompeii | Magagnini | de Luca |
Doves were often depicted in Pompeian murals and mosaics. Doves mate for life and both the male and female build their nest. For the Pompeians, the dove represented love, friendship and care of the family. It was also associated with the goddess Venus.
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| birdinginformation.com |
I am not a birder, so as I researched the mourning dove, I looked at it with fresh eyes. What looks rather ordinary from a distance is actually almost opalescent at close range, and look at the beautiful blue ring around the eye!
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| click to enlarge |
Here's the Marcus Aurelius corner, complete
above the green bar. We'll be working on that green and red later (and if I had planned a little better, the green and red work would have been perfect for the Christmas season). But first, there's work to be done on that yellow section, to the right of the columns.
I hope you'll join me as the mural encompasses the kitchen door and inches towards the living room!
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Another brilliant idea Markus Aurelius And your mourning dove so beautifully painted! I'm going to call you Marcus Aurelius from now on.
ReplyDeleteHi, Gina — your comment elicits a big laugh at this end.
DeleteLove this detail!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stefan!
DeleteHello Mark, I love the way your dove is perched casually on the entablature, as though he spied your colorful Pompeian room from a distance, and has come for a visit or a better look. The ancient examples you show are all very charming; the top left one looks like it could be part of an antique wallpaper pattern.
ReplyDelete--Jim
Hello, Jim,
DeleteThe dove you reference came from a lush garden mural in the House of the Golden Bracelet. The mural's many birds and plants were all symbolic of different gods, and to my eye, certain details are indeed evocative of William Morris' wallpaper designs.
I enjoy the fact that you have placed a dove on the entablature above Marcus Aurelius' portrait especially as it was associated with the goddess Venus, particularly topical for us having just visited her Temple in Aphrodisias.
ReplyDeleteDear Rosemary,
DeleteSome years ago I had a coworker who married a Turkish man, and she used to rave about the spectacular ruins of Turkey. It's a country I've wanted to visit for a long time, and your postings have again whetted that appetite.
A very charming and historical detail for your mural Mark. I love the story of the dove as well!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Hello, Karena,
DeleteA big part of my fun on this project (and I'm sure that would be true for any mural with historic details) is that I've learned so much interesting extraneous information. When one discovers the beauty in a rather common bird, for example, one can appreciate all the more why others are avid birders.
LOVE this dove detail, Mark. Just a wonderful touch.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Yvette. The nice thing about this detail is that it's Pompeian, but also reflects the doves that are in my yard almost every day.
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