I am a student at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI and am currently working on a research project. Part of the project entails dating works of art. I am looking for a specific or round about date for the Villa of the Mysteries fresco from the ancient Italian city of Pompeii. Can anyone help me? I would really appreciate it.

Have a lovely day--

Mandi R. Hutchins

Mandi .... thats an easy one. The villa of the Mysteries, a roman structure, was an occupied building at the time of the eruption of mount Vesuvius. Look it up in the history books. If you find the date of the roman eruption of Vesuvius, the one which buried Pompeii and Herculaneum, then you have your ballpark date on the frescoes there. I was just there two months ago. The roman murals in the villa are absolutely stunning, and there is even more work throughout the complex that you never get to see. Bob

Around 60-50 B.C.

c. 50 BCE.

The villa of the mysteries was constructed/frescoes were painted ca 60 BC but the eruption was 24 august 79 AD. The villa was abanodoned and runned by a freed slave at the time, and not inhabited in an ordinary sense. The frescoes in question were old fashioned.Stunning allthe same!
Emma

>The villa of the mysteries was
>constructed/frescoes were painted ca 60 BC but
>the eruption was 24 august 79 AD. The villa was
>abanodoned and runned by a freed slave at the
>time, and not inhabited in an ordinary sense.
>The frescoes in question were old
>fashioned.Stunning allthe same!
>Emma
The Villa of Mysteries is a mystery, particulary the Dionysiac Frieze, which depicts various initiation rites, it is believed to be assossiated with sex , pleasure and sado machism:'(
It is a fascinating subject with very dark mystery intertwined in it, ther is a lot of information on the net but also in guidebooks about Pompeii.
Good luck
Georgina