Francesca Tronchin, Getty Research Institute/Getty Villa

Living in Hyperreality: Disneyland, Pompeii, and Ancient Museums

Abstract

In this paper I approach thematically eclectic domestic decor as both normative and meaningful. With many Romans already accustomed to the heterogeneous collections of art and artifacts on display in sites like the Portico of Pompey and the Temple of Concordia Augusta, they were able to make sense of domestic ensembles that drew upon a variety of sources and styles. From the earliest manubial displays in 3rd century BCE Rome to Vespasian's Templum Pacis, personal status and eclectic displays were allied. Just as public displays of art frequently served to aggrandize the reputation of patrons who donated works to a city or sanctuary, a domestic art collection could elevate its owners’ status through the social function of the home, be it middle-class domus or luxurious rural villa. The eclectic subject matter of domestic decor, borrowed from the public displays, served to reflect the owners’ identity—or pretensions of it—as someone who was well-versed in both ancient mores and contemporary taste. While scholars have long acknowledged the formal, compositional connections among public architecture, pinacothecae, and Roman wall painting, I believe it is possible and indeed even more helpful to posit an ideological relationship between Rome’s urban museums and domestic displays.

By acknowledging the reliance of both villa and domus decor upon public art collections, we can create a more nuanced evaluation of the villa-imitation phenomenon noted by Paul Zanker. The thematically heterogeneous displays in public and private settings alike can be read as indices of Romanitas, showcasing the shared cultural values of patriotism, literary and aesthetic erudition, and religious devotion. The paths of imitation were frequently indirect and traveled in more than one direction.