Many villas, particularly from the ancient Roman civilization have survived, either in fragments or whole, into the modern world. Specifically, a city named Boscoreale, about a mile from Pompeii was renowned during classical times for holding numerous country villas. This destination was where some of the most vital wall paintings to modern research derive from. The specific building, better known as the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor, after one of its owners, was assembled in the middle to later first century B.C. The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. left the villa buried until the early 1900s when it was discovered with its majestic frescoes. It is a country home, a villa rustica, that only partially functioned as a farmhouse, pars rustica. The bulk of the residence served as a home for the owner, who was a member of the wealthy Roman citizens who owned property that was extremely homogeneous to each other, which was utilized as country homes. The frescoes were completed around 41 to 30 B.C. to please the affluent owner. Because the decoration was not replaced by a more modernized variation at any period, it makes it clear that the quality of the frescoes was respected in antiquity. The paintings which survived after, currently housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, demonstrate the most accomplished style in Roman wall painting. Wall paintings were commonly created in these architectural creations to portray wealth, status, and elegance. Surprisingly, the frescoes present have many aesthetic values within them. This includes partial shadows, depth, architectural representations of the common style during the period, and more. These details allow the viewer’s eyes to hop from the center, either a figure or thing, to the surrounding aspects. The common objects of daily life were depicted realistically due to the art of projection. Some aspects appear to pop at the viewer. Villas such as these were a common area for Hellenistic art and culture to be represented. The eastern Greek territory inspired the Romans tremendously in many ways, including art and the architectural styles present. For example, the “Roman” style of the villa combined the demonstration of a Roman home with borrowed botanical designs and column usage from Greek societies. The sanctuaries and gymnasia were the major forces motivating the Roman styles of the villa. In conclusion, the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor is an admirable example of how articulated the Romans were with their art forms and influence from other aspects of everyday life.
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