Domestic Animal Frescoes from the Archaeological Museum of Naples in Italy

Two horses held in a bridle, Stabiae, Villa di Arianna

Fresco - Water-based pigments on Coating (34 × 39 cm) 10-37 AD

Fresco Two horses in a bridle, Stabiae, Villa di Arianna, Archaeological Museum of Naples

Two horses in a bridle This fresco shows two horses, one of which is held in a bridle.

Only the hand of the person holding the lanyard can be made out, which appears to be the delicate hand of a woman.

You can also see that she is wearing a golden bracelet on her wrist.

Interestingly, the bridle is only attached to the bit of the horse, with nothing else visible as such.

Indeed, the horse is not harnessed or saddled.

It is therefore only a question of moving it to another location with the one accompanying it, of which we can only see the rear part.

Chicken, hen and baskets, Pompeii

Chicken, hens and baskets Fresco - Water-based pigments on Coating (29 × 40 cm) 45-79 AD

This fresco shows a chicken and a hen destined to be sold by a peasant.

These two fowls both have their legs tied, leaving no doubt as to what is going to happen to them.

The two baskets next to the chicken appear to contain cereal or cheese, also intended for sale.

The bent stick most likely belongs to the peasant preparing to carry his wares to market.

Chicken and rooster in a temple, Herculaneum

Fresco - Water-based pigments on Coating (77 × 112 cm) AD 45-79

Fresco of hens and roosters in a temple, Herculaneum, Archaeological Museum of Naples

Chicken and rooster in a temple The scene presumably takes place in a sacred Venue, as suggested by the presence of a stela adorned with sacred ribbons, surmounted by a two-spouted lamp in the shape of griffins, in the centre of the fresco.

To the left is another stele decorated with ribbons.

The hen and rooster are eating pomegranates and dates, which were certainly not intended for them and which have been laid as an offering at the foot of the central stele.

Beware of the divine wrath to come!

Cock Cock pecking at grapes, Herculaneum, Casa dei Cervi

Fresco - Water-based pigments on Coating (28 × 72 cm) 45-79 AD

Whether at Herculaneum or Pompeii, the theme of the rooster about to peck at fruit is a recurring one.

Fresco Rooster pecking grapes, Herculaneum, Casa dei Cervi, Archaeological Museum of Naples

Cock pecking at grapes This type of scene obviously appealed greatly to the inhabitants of the Vesuvius region.

In this fresco, the rooster bends over bunches of grapes to peck at them.

You can feel that, in the next moment, his eager beak will already be piercing the berries of this beautiful red grape with clusters still attached to their stems.

Offering of a ram, Pompeii

Fresco - Water-based pigments on Coating (50 × 49 cm) 50-79 AD