Arianna's Mosaics: A Survey of the Villa Arianna's Mosaics

Abstract

Arianna’s Mosaics A Survey of the Villa Arianna’s Roman Mosaics investigates the art historical context behind the creation, function, and experience of the floor mosaics of the Villa Arianna in Roman Stabiae (1st century BCE - 1st century CE) based on original archaeological documentation in the form of measured line drawings of select floors and photographs throughout the excavations. The measured digital drawings are made with the assistance of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and Photogrammetry technologies. All data collection for this project was conducted on-site at the Villa Arianna, including photographs and measurements. Orthophotos (non-perspectival photographs created with photogrammetry) were made from some of the best preserved mosaiced rooms and door thresholds and then scaled to LiDAR measurements to produce high-quality measured line drawings. High-quality illustrations not only aid in the research project for which they are created but also contribute to the wider scholarly community as interpretative tools for facilitating understanding. The research from this project examines the chronology of the Villa Arianna’s mosaics in relation to the overall decoration of the rooms, particularly their response to the development of the villa’s fresco program. The Villa Arianna, located in Stabiae Italy, was preserved by ash from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE and excavated in the eighteenth century. The mosaics have not been well studied, but the leaders of the University of Maryland Villa Arianna survey have recognized their substantial integration with the rest of the visual and spatial program, which included frescoes, gardens, water features, and framed views. This research applies a mixed methodology to the study of the mosaics within the villa, connecting their creation processes, functions of use, iconography, and concepts of space. Furthermore, this research investigates if there is a visual sequence within the decoration of the rooms intended to guide the movements of the viewer.