BABesch 78 (2003) Zebrapatterns in Campanian wall painting: a matter of function Lara Laken Abstract Zebrapatterns are paintings with black and white stripes, usually covering the lower zone of a wall and often divided in panels reminiscent of marble imitation. They were in use in the Vesuvius area during the second half of the first century AD. Because they mainly appear in passage rooms, they have previously rarely been described and are generally thought to be secondary decoration, restricted to service areas. Thorough study of the pattern within its spatial context however leads to a different point of view: zebrapatterns were used in the first place to define public or common space. INTRODUCTION* only been found in the Vesuvian region.5 They are thus not only confined topographically, but also One of the first wall paintings that catches the eye chronologically, because they were all painted upon entering the excavations of Pompeii through before 79 AD. Within this region, they are found the modern entrance at the Porta Marina, is a pat- in different spaces from the other all-over pat- tern of black and white stripes. It is situated along terns. Therefore it seems worthwhile to discuss a stairway directly to the right of the main road them in a separate article.6 that leads through the city gate (fig. 1). These stairs belong to the so-called Villa Imperiale, a building TYPOLOGY discovered after a bombardment in 1943 that de- molished the Antiquarium above.1 Similar paint- The pattern usually appears as a high dado, some- ings are to be found across the street in an apart- times placed above a separate plinth, and varies ment complex linked to the Suburban Baths. These in height from ca. 1.30 to 2 m. It generally covers paintings cannot be easily seen since they are sit- the lower part of a wall divided into two painted uated behind a closed gate and are much more horizontal zones, and is then combined with a worn. In Pompeii alone there are presently at least plain white or simply decorated upper zone.7 The 28 examples in 10 buildings, and there are proba- pattern is usually divided vertically into panels bly many more that have been washed away by marked by yellow or red borders. rain, wind and sun. It is surprising that these kinds of paintings have been neglected by scholars for many years, and were rarely even described.2 These ‘zebrapatterns’ consist of a repeated sys- tem of black and white stripes oriented in vary- ing directions. Until recently they have always and exclusively been considered as secondary decoration, because they mainly appear in rooms with minor functions such as corridors, ramps, staircases and passages.3 Zebrapatterns are strongly linked to all-over patterns like checkerboard-pat- terns and geometrical and/or floral patterns.4 These repetitive patterns all appear in the same period: from about 50 to 79 AD. At this time, the Fourth Pompeian Style was flourishing, a typi- cally eclectic style of painting, in which many Fig. 1. Pompeii, Villa Imperiale, stairway with zebra- new combinations were introduced. Unlike other decoration. The same decoration was painted along the all-over patterns, zebrapatterns seem to be a truly stairs to the upper floor, as can be seen through the regional phenomenon. Up till now, they have window (photo: author). 167 Fig. 2. Oplontis, so-called Villa of Poppaea, peristyle Fig. 3. Oplontis, so-called Villa of Poppaea, corridor [32], S-wall and SE-corner. The zebrapattern was [76], detail of W-wall: transition from middle to upper applied to both main and upper zone, and to the zone, and panel division in both zones. The vertical columns (photo: author). stripes (as well as the diagonal stripes) are straight (photo: author). An exception is found in the peristyle [32] in the Villa of Oplontis (fig. 2). Here the pattern was applied to the entire wall and even to the ceiling8 and columns, in panels of differing proportions of which the arrangement is reminiscent of the First and early Second Pompeian Styles: dado, orthostates and isodomic courses.9 Corridors [76] and [46] in Oplontis are slightly incongruous as well, because these have upper zones decorated with a common, although simple, Fourth Style system (figs. 3-4). The strokes in the zebrapatterns are either wavy or straight.10 Different variants occur next to each other, in large quantities, in the Villa of Oplontis. In the peristyle [32] of this villa, panels with waves even alternate with panels of straight stripes. Based on this, it is hard to determine any chronological development of the patterns; they do not appear to become more and more schematic over time. Not all zebrapatterns are divided into panels; sometimes the pattern continues without any interruption. Such is the case in the corridors of two large public buildings: the porticus of the Palaestra in Herculaneum and the gallery of the Amphitheatre in Pompeii. In the first, the strokes fan out like the leaves of big plants (fig. 5); on the south wall they even start bending (fig. 6). The same system is found in the continuous decora- tion along a staircase in the Casa del Bracciale d’Oro in Pompeii (VI 17,42, fig. 7) and in corridor [26] of the so-called Villa of Ariadne in Stabiae. In the Amphitheatre, on the other hand, the strokes Fig. 4. Oplontis, so-called Villa of Poppaea, corridor all point towards the right (fig. 8). This kind of [46], dado, main and upper zone (N-wall). The yellow pattern was used in ramp [A1-2] to the lower level bands in the upper zone correspond with those between of the Casa dell’Albergo in Herculaneum (III 19), the zebrapanels (photo: author). 168 and in the common corridor [22] of the apartment complex on the second floor of the Suburban Baths. For most of these continuous patterns the strokes are always straight, but at the upper sto- ries of the Suburban Baths, the one continuous pattern in corridor [22] has waves, like all other zebrapatterns in this apartment complex. Also in the Casa dell’Albergo the pattern may have had a wavy system, at least it looks as if the white paint was wavy, but it is too worn to tell now. ORIGIN As all four Pompeian styles are mainly based upon imitations of either a certain material, or an archi- tectural system, a famous mythological painting or sculptural group (mostly Greek masterpieces), logically one of the first questions that comes to mind when studying Roman wall painting, is what source inspired the painter. Concerning Fig. 5. Herculaneum, Palaestra, porticus N (western Fig. 7. Pompeii, Casa del Bracciale d’Oro (VI 17,42- part), N-wall: continuous pattern of stripes in all 44), stairway with continuous zebrapattern (S-wall, directions (photo: Daniel Castor). taken from W; photo: author). Fig. 6. Herculaneum, Palaestra, porticus N (western part), S-wall: continuous pattern in which the stripes Fig. 8. Pompeii, Amphitheatre, eastern corridor of bend over (photo: Daniel Castor). main gallery (photo: author). 169 repeating patterns, from which architectural ele- els (orthostates) and smaller, rectangular blocks ments and mythological scenes are usually (isodomic courses) is similar to the features of the excluded, this question is specific to the imitated First Pompeian Style, which was based on the material. rendering of constructions in stone; this strength- For zebrapatterns the most often proposed ens the presumption that this painting too refers solution is that they are an imitation of marble to stone imitation. However this does not explain slabs, the kind of marble, when specified, being why these striped surfaces are also applied to the bardiglio.11 Still it is not in all cases clear whether ceiling (fig. 12). One would not expect a real ceil- stone imitation has been the intention. Accordingly, ing to be faced with marble slabs. The risk of they have not been included by H. Eristov in her pieces falling down would be serious, and in fact catalogue of painted marble incrustations in I do not know any example of a ceiling with mar- Pompeii (1979).12 It also seems illogical, that in the ble slabs, neither visible by marble remains nor series Pitture e pavimenti di Pompei (PPP) and by imprints indicating that they were there. Pompei, Pitture e mosaici (PPM) the zebrapattern I will come back to the discussion about stone with diagonal, nearly horizontal strokes in the imitation. First I would like to explore alternative fauces of Pompeii VI 16, 26-27 is called an imita- possibilities. Taking into consideration what was tion of bardiglio, while the zebrapattern with ver- said above about the peristyle in Oplontis, we may tical strokes which decorated the façade of the also look at it as a depiction of wooden panels. If same house is not.13 this was the underlying idea, the black and white There are various possible arguments for an stripes might give a little too much contrast just imitation of stone. Some zebrapanels have a white to suggest the graining of wood. In this case, an inner line, which usually suggests projection and imitation of timber framing, as was once suggested therefore points to a relation to stone. However, to me by E.M. Moormann, is more probable: the shading has not been used nor have efforts been yellow frames around the panels may be inter- made to make the ‘veins’ of the marble stand out preted as wooden frames, the black and white in such a way as to portray real stone. Of course stripes as reed or small branches and clay or stucco the painting of an inner line could have changed respectively.14 However, for constructive timber into a meaningless practice, but there are also a framing, the range of shapes that is represented lot of panels without inner lines.