Maria Barosso and the Villa of the Mysteries Murals

In 1924, Professor Francis W. Kelsey of the University of Michigan commissioned an Italian artist, Maria Barosso, to reproduce the wall murals of the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii. Barosso chose watercolor as her medium; the entire project was finished in just over 18 months. The Barosso watercolors are now on display at the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, Ann Arbor, Michigan. This film describes the murals, Maria Barosso's work, and an exciting conservation project, undertaken almost 100 years later, to preserve these beautiful watercolors.

[@frank1fm634]

Amazing that we can see these murals today.

[@cosettadc8486]

Amazing story. Finally you were able to create a permanent display! The fact that they are copies doesnt reduce their importance and beauty at all ! I'm Italian and an historian, by the way. Consider this, many artworks displayed in museums that we admire and appreciate (sculptures mainly), are "mere" Roman copies of the original Greek ones, usually lost ... But this doesn't lessen their charm and their immense value.

[@UtahGmaw99]

I had no idea these existed. Breath taking! Thank you to the Kelsey museum for this wonderful film.

[@deanedge5988]

Wonderful. Excellent documentary.

[@CatherineEllenMartin]

Wow! I live only a few hours from Ann Arbor and I teach Latin, but I had no idea about the existence of these amazing paintings! You can bet that I will visit soon. Thanks for this video.

[@chachadodds5860]

Wow! What a magnificent work of art and labor of love repeated over and over. If I still lived in Michigan, I would definitely be going to see these in person. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story.

[@alexontheedge]

Some of the figures look, stylistically, as though they could of been painted by one of the WPA muralists of the 1930s. Pompeii: always fascinating.

[@johnbotsford6897]

Artifacts are actual pieces of antiquity. These watercolors are a window into the lives of the ancient Romans.

[@dmbindallas]

Yeah that wasn’t a room for eating

[@johnryman1366]

They were so modern, it was extremely surprisingly 'modern", saw them when it first opened, still think about the brilliant color.

[@LWJCarroll]

I am so pleased I watched this! Not knowing about it but that my maternal grandfather and his father visited Pompeii in 1913 makes it all the more real. ❤❤❤. Laurie NZ.

[@jegsthewegs]

Although this is 6 years old, it's so sad that Pompeii has deteriorated so very badly from when I first visited 30yrs ago and my most recent visit in the last year. People steal a stone here and a piece of something there and with the footfall and lack of protection from the environment Pompeii is more damaged now than when it was before the eruption of Vesuvius. Tragic.

[@Michaelneiss]

Sad, but true ...

[@singing-sands]

Absolutely amazing process to preserve the frescoes. I wish we knew more about what they depicted, such a mystery.

[@spiderhssstt]

Lovely video. Thank you for posting it.😊

[@massimosquecco8956]

Great Report. Thank you!

[@dougfife7956]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing this. I am now reading up on dionysus

[@johnmartin5755]

Thank you Maria

[@salcuti6421]

Fantastic I so want to try to paint some things from Pompeii…..Patricia from Canada 🇨🇦

[@Michaelneiss]

impressive!

[@bslife7887]

👍👍👍😍

[@Ianthe22]

Erhmmm.. they are very true replica's. Did they use watercolour in Pompeii?

[@charliecaco8002]

Minute 9:33, the Cupid is holding a phone/tablet !!!

[@777.62]

It sure looks like it. 😮

[@vfxforge]

more

[@rootzero]

I don't understand the petty, negative remarks left here by a few miserable souls. Thank you for this presentation ❤️

[@USA50_]

❤️🇺🇲👍☺️

[@charleshuguley9903]

Although the original funding and the restoration were American, the frescoes were Roman and the artist was Italian. It is a human achievement.

[@loldiers3238]

'Muricans always try to make everything about themselves 🙄

[@astrazenica7783]

imagine not even exhibiting them! sacrilege

[@esbliss13]

Yeah that's what I was thinking.

[@jeno264]

5:30 they were exhibited. The issue is preserving them

[@celestepalm6949]

"For entertainment" my foot. Great to see religious panels focused on women's mysteries for a change.

[@edgeplay4205]

This is just an infomercial for the exhibition. It tells you nothing about the paintings.

[@davidfiler7439]

Looks very basic to me, they'd have been better off producing a 3d slide show.

[@judeirwin2222]

You went to all the trouble and expense of making this film, and then ruined it with dreadful and unnecessary music. Why? It adds nothing. It gets in the way of the narration and is actually pretty unpleasant. Who allows these bad decisions? Isn’t there a Director or Producer in charge of these films?

[@phyllisarrington7436]

Off your meds again, I see

[@johnbarton1506]

Most enjoyable in all ways

[@charleshuguley9903]

Accept for what is. Funds were probably limited. As it stands it is an inspiring story of an ultimately successful artistic achievement in the face of disinterest and shortsightedness.

[@rootzero]

It's fine, wonderful story. Get over yourself.

[@mikkins85710]

The music was an excellent addition you are a philistine

[@goognamgoognw6637]

Incredibly bad video editing and filming. We get to see the painted fresque for 10 sec with sliding camera makes it impossible to have a good look, but we get full minutes of interviews of people who talk about the painting. Standard united statian treatment, How dumb.

[@jackwardrop4994]

Listen with sound off

[@3589546]

Nice, but perhaps a better artist and produced with oil on canvas. Water colour ? Tedious, time consuming and not as durable.

[@charleshuguley9903]

I imagine watercolor produced a result more representative of the soft color of the frescoes. Also, the oil is expensive and there was a tremendous area to be painted. I don't see why you fault the artist; it is a tremendous achievement, particularly under the circumstances.

[@rootzero]

It's beautiful as it is.

[@ropi8739]

Don't forget to make that your choice, whenever YOU are appointed to a similarly prestigious assignment. Some people really...

[@nunyabiznes33]

@@charleshuguley9903 now that you mentioned that, I'd like to see it reproduced as a fresco.

[@loldiers3238]

Rich people always turn out to be fascist collaborators.