Picture No | 11076149 |
Date | 1924 |
Description | Pompeii as it was in Ancient Days by Matania |
Details |
Life in Pompeii 2000 years ago. A new reconstruction series by Fortunino Matania, no. III. Bringing in the new wine to Pompeii after the October vintage. The opening up of new excavations in Pompeii in 1924 led the Sphere special artist and expert in historical reconstruction, paint a series of scenes of daily life in ancient Pompeii. A new vintage of wine is brought into Pompeii from the countryside by means of specially constructed cars, each containing a skin of wine. The latter was the skin of a cow, with the neck tied up at the front and the tail serving as the only outlet. The car was pulled by two horses along the streets of the town, passing exactly over a causeway of raised stones such as were to be found in every Pompeiian street. Not possessing drains, during rainy weather, the streets of Pompeii were flooded by rain water flowing down to the Tiber, consequently passers-by were forced to cross the street on the raised causeway. The wine car stopped before various taverns, and all the 'anfore' were brought out to be filled. The drawing represents the filling of these anfore. The car was drawn from a fresco discovered at Pompeii. At the time of this drawing by Matania (who had been born in Naples), the same scenes were enacted before the cantine of Naples, which have been built on the same lines as those of Pompeii. Cars loaded with barrels still unloaded the new wine coming from the same vineyards.
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Source | Illustration by Fortunino Matania in 'The Sphere', 1 March 1924, page 225 |
Credit | © Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans |
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