August Mau was born in 1840. While the details of his schooling are unknown, he joined the Deutshes Archäologisches Institut (German Archaeological Institute) and spent many years advancing the scientific nature of archaeology. He was widely published in both Germany and Italy and wrote a book in English. Mau died in 1909.
Mau began excavating at the ancient site of Pompeii in Italy around 1860. He and his colleagues (Wolfgang Helbig and Armin von Gerken) played a fundamental role in the exploration of this well-preserved ancient city. Mau spent twenty-five years of his life at Pompeii. His summers were spent excavating at the site, while winters were spent in Rome analyzing the finding and working with the new material.
Perhaps Maus most recognized accomplishment was his classification of Greek and Roman wall paintings, which is still in use today. He divided the paintings into four categories: First Style (3rd century - circa 80 BC), Second Style (circa 80 - 20/10 BC), Third Style (circa 20/10 BC - AD 50/60), Fourth Style (AD 50/60 - 79 AD).
Mau considered the first style, known as the Incrustation Style, to be simple decoration in imitation of colored marble. In this style, the plaster was painted to resemble blocks of colored stone in imitation of the marble architectural blocks of a Greek temple. Although wall art is lacking in this style, rare beauty can be found in floor mosaics. Mau found examples of this style in the House of Sallust and the House of the Faun.
Mau theorized that the second style, called the Architectural Style, was probably brought to Pompeii when the Romans settled a colony there. This style was very architecturally detailed with columns and ledges painted as realistically as possible. Beyond the columns lay paintings of the sacred landscapes, mixing illusion with reality. In this style, the architectural details were in correct perspective. Examples of this style were found in the excavation of the Villa of the Mysteries and the Villa of Oplontis.
The third style of Maus classification, known as the Ornate Style, appears to have grown out of the second style which Mau thought happened during the late Augustian Period. This style treats the wall as a flat surface like a painting instead of a window, and architectural details are no longer emphasized. Most of these paintings emphasized ornamentation with central mythological scenes presented in a panel usually with a monochrome background. Mau believed this style was suggestive of Egyptian origins. Mau found this style to be present at the House of Marcus Lucretius Fronto.
Mau felt that changes in Rome inspired a fourth style, called the Intricate Style, although he did not elaborate as much on the characteristics of this style as he did with the other three. This style is believed to appear around 50 A.D., and is basically a combination of the second and third styles in which architectural details are present but not as realistic and solid as in the second style. Most scenes were painted in frames or panels within the larger architectural painting, although some were painted directly onto a monochrome background. Mau found an example of this style in the House of Vetti.
Along with his classifications of Greek and Roman wall painting, Mau did detailed studies of many of the building in the unburied city of Pompeii and wrote several books including Pompeii: Its Life and Art (1899, English), Pompeii e la regione sotterrata dal Vesuvio (1879, Italian), Pompeji vor der Zerstoerung (1897, German) and many articles in the Roman Mittheilunger of the German Archaeological Institute.
References:
Alan Petersen: Roman Wall Painting. Coconino Community College (Thursday, October 12, 2000 11:09:13) http://www.coco.cc.az.us/~apeterse/_ART201/wall_painting.htm 11/27/00.
DAI Research Project Pompeii. Deutshes Archäologisches Institut. (08.10.1999) http://www.dainst.de/en/pro/pompeji.html 11/27/00.
Lecture31overview. University of Sydney, School of Archaeology, http://www.arts.usyd.edu.au/Arts/departs/archaeol/ARCL1001/lecture31overview.htm 11/27/00.
Lecture33keywords. The University of Sydney Faculty of Arts, http://www.arts.usyd.edu.au/Arts/departs/archaeol/ARCL1001/lecture33keywords.htm 11/27/00.
Mau, August. Pompeii: Its Life And Art. New York: The Macmillan Company,1899.
P. University of Wyoming. http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/art2010/glossary/p.htm 11/27/00.
Wallace-Hadrill, Andrew. Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 1994.
Written by Tim Anderson
Edited by Marcy L. Voelker, 2007