Entering the ancient Roman summer triclinium of Empress Livia is like entering a meticulously curated thicket. All four walls are painted with an illusionistic fresco that depicts a wild grove beyond a manicured wicker fence and stone parapet. This balance between chaos and order—untrammeled nature and measured civilization—was the artist’s intent, representing unity between the natural world and the Roman Empire under common rule.
“Gardenscape” (circa 30–20 B.C.) is a wraparound fresco that covered the walls of Empress Livia Drusilla’s subterranean triclinium (dining room) in her Villa at Prima Porta, seven and one half miles north of Rome. At first glance, what appears to be an atmospheric fresco of a garden is replete with symbolism and references to the mythology of Augustan Rome. “Gardenscape” promoted Augustan-era themes such as prosperity, control of nature, and divine order, while also conveying private allusions that would have been exclusively appreciated by the imperial family.
