In this analysis of mythological paintings in the houses of Pompeii, Katharina Lorenz produces a stimulating model of the contextual relationship between observer and object in the early Roman Empire. In contrast to the more general approach of earlier studies it is the painting itself that is the focus of attention, alone and in combination, as well as the strategies of the pictorial narratives in influencing the spatial atmosphere.
The work creates new perspectives on Roman lifestyle, Pompeian wall painting, and the social dimensions of mythology as a factor in communication.