Ancient Rome - Pompeii- Villa of the Mysteries selling Initiation Final Scenes - 12x12" Canvas Wall Art

This amazing Ancient Roman scene is an image of authentic painted wall art from the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii, from the 1st Century AD.

It depicts the Final Scenes in the initiation of a woman into the Dionysian Mysteries, also called the Mysteries of Bacchus. Bacchus, a god of sensuality, pleasure selling and spirituality was popular with Roman women as well as men. This final panel completes the initiation story of the Mysteries of Dionysus/Bacchus.

These two scenes appear on the sides of the entry/exit doorway of the room. To the left we see winged Eros, the God of Love, sitting and resting his chin on his hand. He is looking back at the Initiation scenes, perhaps reflecting on the powerful emotions of the ritual process.

To the right, the now Full Initiate sits in a similar pose, also looking back to the initiation process. She is now a mature Roman Matron and wife, wearing a wedding ring (yes, the ancient Romans used them) and is a person of full status. She too is reflecting back at the initiation but with less of a dreamlike expression; perhaps she is wistfully remembering the process which brought her to completion.

Interestingly, she is now not unlike the Roman Matron figure at the beginning of this long process - who watched as the young candidate for initiation began her own journey into the ritual. This final scene is perhaps a foreshadowing that she herself will become the Roman Matron who sends her own daughter forward, to experience and learn the Mysteries in her own turn, thus renewing the cycle!

This ancient fresco is one of the best preserved ancient paintings from the Roman world. The colors are amazingly lively as the Villa of the Mysteries was covered with ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, preserving the paintings.

This 12x12" canvas makes a wonderful gift for the historian (or the initiate!) in your life!