The Black Room of the Imperial Villa at Boscotrecase

During the time of Augustus in a small villa north of Pompeii, a very different kind wall painting was commissioned know as the "Black Room"at the Imperial Villa of Boscotrecase. Compositionally this fresco wall painting is strikingly different from the majority of early Roman art particularly in it's departure from realism and use of minimal design elements. Roman murals from around this time period often depicted scenes with figures and places that existed in real time and space but the Black Room doesn't seem to exist in any particular place or time. It remains almost as surreal and mysterious today as it would have to it's viewers during the time of Augustus. 

The most predominant compositional element of the Black Room is it's negative space. What is not in the piece is a as interesting and significant of a design element as what is there. The black background serves the piece by conveying to the viewer a sense of limitless space and depth while in reality being completely flat and two dimensional. This strong use of negative space allows the viewer to really take in the delicate and ornate architectural elements of the piece.

The tiny architecture of the Black room is by far the most surreal compositional element of the piece. It's compromised of several long thin columns that balance impossible objects like a large canopy that is supported by miniature flowers that sit on tiny coin shaped portraits. Along the top of the columns is a sort of suspended trim decorated with plant like patterns and jewels. The incredibly ornate trim hangs in thin air and appears to line a wall that doesn't exist. This effect is representative of the pieces abstract use of space. 

The suspended trim is one of the few design elements that give the piece a sense of dimension. The trim dips back into space at three different points while the rest of the elements remain flat and floating. Adding to this effect are the two Egyptian portraits that hang flat as if on a wall while the trim behind them implies that the wall recesses into an alcove. Another way of seeing this would be that the paintings are again in an impossible balance atop a plant like object attached to a slender column. The shadow that the plant like object casts on the trim is one of the few shadows in the piece. The spare and odd use of depth is a key part of the surreal composition of the piece and is still puzzling today.

Though the piece is quite surreal, it is not without narrative. there are several small narrative elements that depict various possible subject matter. There is a small mythological scene that is hard to make out due to the age and deterioration of the piece. It depicts a strange structure surrounded in overgrown plants and mythological beings. this kind of scene was common in the third style of Roman wall painting and though the exact story is unknown it remains a key piece of the mural and would have significant meaning to viewers in Roman times in Particular. 

The Egyptian paintings have a particularly significant meaning due to the relationship between Rome and Egypt which was under Rome's control at the time. Both paintings feature Egyptian God's and spiritual practices. One of the gods portrayed in the paintings was Sobek He can be identified by his crocodile-like face and was very popular in the Empire during this time. (Knauer) These images would be recognizable to the Roman viewer because of the Egyptian culture's influence on Rome at the time. 

Another key symbol in the piece are the use of swans. The swans were a symbol of the greek god Apollo. Augustus was believed to be protected by this god and even rumored to be his son. Augustus adopted the swan as a symbol of his own and it can be seen in many of the artworks constructed during his reign such as the Ara Pacis. The use of swans might even give us a clue as to the history of the Black Room, the people who commissioned it and who may have lived in the Imperial Villa.

Since the Imperial Village was a private residence it is important to look at it's occupants to understand the context in which it was viewed. It is believed that the villa was built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and that After his death the villa was passed on to his newly born son Agrippa Postumus . (Umberto) One possible clue to the origins of the Black Room are the coin shaped portraits in the painting. They were previously assumed to depict Agrippa and his son but it has been recently speculated that the portraits might be of two women, Julia the daughter of Augustus and Livia his wife. (Anderson) After the death of Agrippa Julia would be remarried to Tiberius who would become the next emperor of Rome. The Black Room was commissioned around this time possibly by Julia. Either way the Black Room would be viewed by the members of the royal family and the court. They would surely know the cultural significance of the painting and the piece would tie directly to their lives and the views of the empire.