English: Drawing of Pompeii fresco of Venus fishing with Cupid found in a small structure behind the Tomb of Eumachia by Henri Roux Ainé, 1870. Translated relevant text: A small house, situated behind the building of Pompeii called the Crypt of Eumachia, showed one of its narrow rooms decorated with this fresco and the following one (5): a circumstance which again reveals how, in these ancient cities, the taste for the arts had invaded even the humblest dwellings.

Note 1: This painting is located in the Casa Della Pescatrice (VII.9.63) in the Vicolo degli Scheletri near Eumachia’s building but not her tomb which was not excavated until 1954 and later.

The first represents Venus Piscatvix, Ichthyothere or Fisheries. The word is missing in French to replace the Greek and Latin epithet. This subject contains, moreover, a pretty gracious allusion to the attributions of this goddess and of her son, to whom one might apply the expression fishers of souls, created for graver and holier personages. The attitude of the goddess is very graceful, but a little forced: it is difficult to conceive how she can hold herself in balance on the extreme edge of this rock, even by leaning on it as she does with her left hand, and holding herself up. clinging, so to speak, with the soles of the feet, to the perpendicular surface which is below it. Her mantle, which only covers her thighs and legs, is yellow, with a white lining: bracelets on the humerus and on the wrist, diadem, necklace, double scarf, all these ornaments are formed of a gold ribbon.

Cupid, on the other side of the frame, is holding a basket destined no doubt for the prey that his mother will catch: he seems to indicate to her with a gesture the most favorable place to cast his line there.

The execution of the two figures responds to the ingenious voluptuousness and sweet malice in the invention of the subject. The vignette represents two silver vases, one of which is overturned, and between which is a copper disc: on the other side, a bronze basin and a silver ring; at the bottom, on the one hand, a kind of pilaster supporting a ball, and surrounded by a band; then a stake supporting a kind of purse, a green drapery and a pastoral staff. Perhaps the painter wanted to represent prizes awarded to the winner in certain games.

Note 2: A similar fresco is found in another modest setting, the Taberna Lusoria (Reg VI Ins 14, 28). In it, Both Venus and Cupid are fishing, watched by another winged deity. See other version:

Identifier: herculanumetpomp18703barr (find matches)
Title: Herculanum et Pompéi, recueil général des peintures, bronzes, mosaïques, etc., découverts jusqu'à ce jour, et reproduits d'apreès Le antichita di Ercolano, Il Museo borbonico, et tous les ouvrages analogues
Year: 1870 (1870s)
Authors: Barré, Louis, 1799-1857 Roux, H. (Henri), Sr Bouchet, Adolphe
Subjects: Art, Greco-Roman
Publisher: Paris, Firmin Didot frères, fils et cie
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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Text Appearing Before Image:
il tient en main un instrument qui, daprès lesornements du manche, nest plus une feuille de nym-phéa, comme dans beaucoup dautres peintures, maisun éventail, auquel lart a donné la forme de cettefeuille. Le personnage qui soutient Ariane, et qui lui montrele vaisseau fugitif, nest plus ici lAmour, mais un Géniemenaçant et vengeur, sans doute Némésis (2), qui dé-clare la guerre au coupable, et annonce les châtimentsqui lui sont réservés. Peut-être cette Messagère dé la jus-tice (3) fait-elle remarquer à la triste Ariane que lesvoiles noires nont pas été changées, et quune mépriseterrible amènera le trépas dEgée. Mais il ne faut pascroire pour cela que Némésis, compagne de la pudeur,console la malheureuse, mais coupable Ariane, meur-trière de son frère, cause du désespoir dune mère et (1) Catull., Epilhal.,%i; Homer., Marcell., XIV, 2. Iliad., IX, 157; Senec, Epist.,Sl. (3)Plat.,P/fœdr.,tom.III,p.248; (2) Hesiod.,EpY-, 198; Amra. Pindar., Myth., X, 68. ■
Text Appearing After Image:
7\ DEUXIÈME SÉRIE. 87 dune sœur : la où se trouve le remords, la vengeancene soulage pas. Némésis est reconnaisable à sa tunique blanche (i ),à ses fortes ailes( 2), à son attitude, celle dun person-nage qui arrive sans quon laperçoive ou quon lentende(toiOouca irap iroSà) (3), comme elle vient dordinaire auchevet du coupable, et surtout à lexpression sévère deson geste et de ses traits. Ce nest pas la première foisque Némésis et lAmour affligé se réunissent dans lamême pensée poétique. Un épistolographe grec (4) prêteces paroles à une de ses héroïnes : oc Némésis et lAmoursont deux divinités terribles, qui tantôt se tournent versun mortel et tantôt vers un autre. » PLANCHE 110. Une petite maison, située derrière lédifice de Pom-péi appelé la Crypte dEumachie, a montré une de seschambres étroites décorée de cette fresque et de la sui-vante (5) : circonstance qui révèle de nouveau comment,dans ces villes antiques, le goût des arts avait enva

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