Fragment of a Wall Painting with a Swan

Place of OriginLikely Italy

Date1st century CE

Dimensions(Fresco) L: 11 1/8 in. (28 3/8 cm);
(Mount) H: 31 1/8 in. (79 cm); W: 20 7/8 in. (53 cm) (Dealer)

MediumPlaster substrate; polychrome paint on red ground. Both wet and dry fresco.

ClassificationPaintings

Credit LineOrion Fund

Object number

2008.171

Not on View

DescriptionThis fragment comes from a Roman wall painting. Its central motif is a swan within a lozenge frame, shown lifting its wings and holding a ribbon in its beak. The scene is painted in several colors against a rich dark red background. The swan is modeled with careful light and shadow, while the surrounding ornaments are flatter and more decorative, with side bands divided into panels. The fragment was once broken into many pieces and later reassembled and mounted.

Label TextThis wall painting fragment shows a swan in flight, holding a fillet in its beak and framed within a lozenge, against a rich dark red background. Painted in several colors—two shades of red, yellow, green, and blue—it reflects the refined technique of Roman Third Style frescoes. The swan, sacred to the god Apollo, also served as an imperial emblem, recalling the acanthus friezes of the Ara Pacis in Rome (13 BCE). Such imagery and craftsmanship indicate that the fragment likely came from a luxurious villa in the Vesuvian region, perhaps Pompeii or nearby Oplontis.Published ReferencesKunstwerke der Antike: Privatsammlungen aus der Schwiz, Deutschland, Belgien, und weiterer Besitz, Cahn Auktion 3, Basel, 19 September 2008, pp. 144-145, lot 243.