The House of the Faun, renowned as one of the most remarkable discoveries in Pompeii, derives its name from the bronze sculpture of the dancing Faun that is now housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
The construction of this building took place in the early 2nd century BC, on the site of an ancient house. Its vast size, spanning nearly 3000 square meters, coupled with its opulent decoration, positions the Casa del Fauno as one of the finest examples of ancient private residences. In comparison to the average urban and suburban villas of Rome, which typically encompassed around 700 square meters, the House of the Faun stands as an exceptional case. By merging two adjacent pre-existing structures, the house boasts two entrances and two atriums. Furthermore, a grand peristyle was later added, enhancing the monumental nature of the House of the Faun, which indeed occupied an entire insula.
The flooring, created in the opus sectile style, features a combination of yellow marble, porphyry, and limestone. Notably, at the threshold, a mosaic composed of intricate tesserae portrays garlands and theatrical masks, known as opus vermiculatum. The theater motif is not limited to this piece alone; various rooms within the house showcased mosaics depicting theatrical and Dionysian themes, such as garlands with flowers and fruits, marine scenes, and the famous Battle of Alexander and Darius at Issus.
The prevailing theory suggests that these mosaics, along with the bronze statuette of the dancing faun, are linked to the name of the house’s Oscan family owners, the Satrii. It is believed that an ancestor of the Satrii family participated in Alexander the Great’s campaign in Asia, thus providing a connection to Alexandrian art and the theme of Alexander’s battles.
As mentioned, the statue of the Faun likely occupied the ancient impluvium, a square-shaped basin with a flat bottom designed to collect rainwater, typically found in the atriums of houses. The statue depicts a nude, bearded male figure with his head thrown back, thick hair, and an upward gaze. Poised on tiptoe, with his left arm and leg extended and his right arm and leg bent, he appears to be executing a dance step. The presence of goat’s horns adorning his head and a tail suggests that the figure represents a Faun or perhaps a Satyr in the throes of Bacchic inebriation or religious ecstasy.
From a technical standpoint, the sculpture demonstrates masterful rendering of the muscles, imbuing them with sinuous grace. The intricacy and finesse of the artwork point to its likely origin in a Hellenistic production center, potentially in Alexandria.