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1143 - RARE ROMAN FRESCO DEPICTING RIVER SCENE Ca.

Estimate £1,500 - £3,000

Description

RARE ROMAN FRESCO DEPICTING RIVER SCENE Ca. AD 80 - 100. A finely painted wall-plaster fragment, possibly Pompeian, depicting two waterfowl swimming across a deep black ground. The smaller bird on the left is shown in profile, its rounded body rendered in warm ochre, cream, and umber, with darker strokes defining the head, folded wing, and short bill. The larger bird on the right is set diagonally with its head lowered towards the water, its pale breast and mottled plumage articulated in cream, reddish brown, grey, and black. The contrasting colouring may represent a duck and a drake. Numerous fine horizontal strokes in white, ochre, and grey describe the surface of the water, forming ripples and wakes around the birds. Short hooked marks and scattered dots suggest droplets or aquatic vegetation, while a narrow ochre line below marks the boundary of the original decorative register. The scene is distinguished by assured brushwork, carefully layered colour, and precise linear highlights, which give the birds both volume and movement against the polished black ground. Preserved as an irregular fragment with surface abrasions, minor pigment losses, and exposed plaster along the broken edges. The composition remains clear and remarkably expressive. For similar see: IX.5.9 Pompeii. Casa dei Pygmeii. Excavated 1877; Christie's, Live Auction, Antiquities, 1174, Lot. 72. Size: 135mm x 105mm; Weight: 350g Provenance: From a central London private collection; earlier acquired on the UK art market before 2000. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation

About the sale FINE ANCIENT ART AND ANTIQUITIES - THE PRINCE COLLECTION

Auction location

Auction time 10/04/2026 at 2:00 PM

Pictures credits:

Apollo Art Auctions Ltd