| Paintings and mosaics in Pompeii and Ercolano: |
Perseus and Andromeda
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 The
culminating moment of the myth involving Perseus and Andromeda
is one of those most frequently explored on the walls of Pompeii;
it is depicted in accordance with a number of different models.
In the most ancient pictorial representations, those of the 3rd
style, several moments of the story appear, along with the main
characters: from Cassiopoeia whose claim to superior beauty with
respect to the Nereids led to Poseidon's revenge, to Cepheus who
promises his daughter's hand to Perseus in the presence of the
Aethiops whom he reigned over, to Perseus himself who wings in
to the rocks where the young maiden is tied. Subsequent scenes,
in accordance with late classical models, have concentrated on
the two main characters, showing them standing in the moment
that the hero helps the girl down from the rocks, or simply
sitting together when the drama has finished, thereby projecting
an idyllic scene with the two lovers looking at their reflection
in the water, with the Medusa's decapitated head held aloft by
Perseus in sign of triumph and the passing of fear.
This painting from the House of Dioskouroi is the largest of all
those that have so far been discovered, above all for the size
of the main characters. According to most scholars, it is also
the closest to the model by Nicias, the late classical Athenian
artist who also portrayed other famous myths. He reduced the
surrounding landscape to the barest essentials, and with sharp
synthesis of the characters' expressions and gestures portrayed
the psychological tension of closing moments of the drama,
rather than its build-up.
The young girl, still with her left arm in chains, is shown
lifting up the edge of her dress to get down from the rock.
Perseus is touching her elbow, while glancing out towards the
marine monster lying in the water and shielding from Andromeda's
sight the deathly head of the Gorgon Medusa which is hanging
from his harpe, the curved sword he used for the decapitation.
The model used by the copy-artist from Pompeii was certainly of
exceptional quality; suffice it to examine the figures'
proportions and the balanced upwards movement of the lines
running towards the apex of the triangle formed by the two
characters.
However, we can observe some hesitation in the execution of one
detail which, in some senses, is crucial: Perseus' hand touching
Andromeda's elbow. This is the only point of contact between the
two and visible evidence that Andromeda has had her freedom and
independence of movement restored to her after such a lengthy
imprisonment, and the perspective has not been well-expressed,
although such uncertainties were all too common in frescoes from
Pompeii which, after all, was a small provincial handicraft
centre and only a reflection of the great painting of the time.
Bibliography: G.Becatti in EAA s.v. Nikias, pp. 478-479;
Schmaltz 1989, pp259-281; E. Simon, Rappresentazioni mitologiche
nella pittura parietale pompeiana, in AA.VV. La Pittura di
Pompei. Testimonianze dell'arte romana nella zona sepolta dal
Vesuvio nel 79 d.C., 1991, pp. 237-238
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Fonte: MANN
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