Earth and Space News: Cleopatra painting Pompeii

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Thursday, September 29, 2022

Cleopatra Painting in Pompeii May Copy Statue in Venus Genetrix Temple

Summary: Marcus Fabius Rufus house's hidden Cleopatra painting in Pompeii may copy a statue in the Venus Genetrix Temple, Rome, dedicated in 46 BCE by Caesar.

The painting of Cleopatra and her first son, Caesarion, depicted as Roman goddess Venus in her maternal aspect as Venus Genetrix (Latin: Genetrix, "mother, ancestress") with son, Cupid, has been likened to the lost statue of Cleopatra installed in the Temple of Venus Genetrix for Julius Caesar's Sep. 26, 46 BCE, dedication of the temple and his namesake forum, Forum Iulium (Forum of the Iulius; also Forum Caesaris, Forum of Caesar), in Rome; room 71, House of Marcus Fabius Rufus (Marco Fabio Rufo), Pompeii; created via UploadWizard, Saturday, April 19, 2008, 13:52: PericlesofAthens, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Marcus Fabius Rufus house's hidden Cleopatra painting in Pompeii may copy a statue in the Venus Genetrix Temple that Julius Caesar dedicated at his namesake forum in Rome in September 46 BCE.

The painting of a Mother With Child that is hidden behind a later-dated wall in Pompeii's House of Marcus Fabius Rufus represents Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra VII Philopator (Ancient Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ, Kleopatra Philopator; ca. 69-Aug. 10 or 12, 30 BCE) as Venus Genetrix (Venus the Mother) and her first child, Ptolemy XV Caesar Philopator Philometor (Ancient Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Καῖσαρ Φιλοπάτωρ Φιλομήτωρ, Ptolemaios Kaisar Philopator Philometor, "Ptolemy Caesar, Beloved of his Father, Beloved of his Mother"; 47-30 BCE), known as Caesarion (Ancient Greek: Καισαρίων, Kaisarion, "Little Caesar"), as Venus's son, Cupid, according to archaeologist Susan Walker (born Sep. 11, 1948) in "Cleopatra in Pompeii?", published in the November 2008 issue of Papers of the British School at Rome (page 35). The dedication of his Forum Iulium (Forum of the Iulius; Julius Caesar's paternal gens Iulia lineage) and Temple of Venus Genetrix, with adjacent statues of Venus and Cleopatra, on Sep. 26, 46 BCE, in Rome by Roman general and statesman Gaius Julius Caesar (July 12 or 13, 100-March 15, 44 BCE) most likely inspired the painting in Pompeii.

The location of the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus (Marco Fabio Rufo) is specified as Regione VII (region one), Insula 16 (block 16), Domus (house number) 22. Italian architect Giuseppe Fiorelli (June 7, 1823-Jan. 28, 1896), who supervised excavations of the ancient city from 1860 to 1875, devised the methodology of precise identification with a set of three numbers. He divided Pompeii into nine regions (Latin: regiones), numbered from I (1) to IX (9) in Roman numerals. Each region (Latin: regio) subdivided into blocks (Latin: insula, "block"; insulae, "blocks") that are distinguished by Western Arabic numerals beginning with 1 upward. Western Arabic numerals from 1 upward are assigned to building entrances in each insula.

The occurrence of House of Marcus Fabius Rufus in Regio VII places the dwelling in the southern half of Insula Occidentalis (western insula), which comprises Regio VI and Regio VII in the city's western sector. Via della Fortuna Augusta and Via Marina define Regio VII's northern and southern boundaries, respectively, according to Peter and Michael Clements' website, AD79 (AD79 > Pompeii > Regio VII).

Regio VII counts 16 insulae. The House of Marcus Fabius Rufus occupies Insula 16, which mixes commercial and domestic sites and marks Regio VII's western extent. Vico del Farmacista and Vico dei Soprastant trace Insula 16's eastern limit (AD79 > Pompeii > Regio VII > Tour of Regio VII).

Insula 16 numbers 22 entrances. Number 22 is assigned to the vast, multilevel House of Marcus Fabius Rufus.

The imposing dwelling projects vertically over at least four levels. Western façade terraces offer panoramic views of the Bay of Naples (Italian: baia di napoli; also golfo di Napoli, "Gulf of Naples").

A room number system used by historian Masanori Aoyagi and classical archaeologists Mario Grimaldi and Umberto Pappalardo has assigned 71 to a cubiculum (Latin: cubō, "lie down" + -culum, diminutive suffix) in the southwestern corner of the first lower floor in the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus. Room 71 faces west toward a corridor (72) and a grand salon (74) with sea views, as described by Susan Walker (page 38).

An excavational discovery of an enclosure behind Room 71's seeming east wall slightly enlarges the cubiculum and reveals a hidden, motherly portrait that reaches to the barrel vaulted wall's springs or springlines, i.e., the arch's rising points from vertical supports. Analyzed as Cleopatra and Caesarion posed as maternal Venus with Cupid, the high-quality portrait might signal the room's use as a shrine rather than a sleeping room (page 38).

The long-necked setting of the elegant female's aquiline nose and deep-set rounded eyes in a round face evoke facial features in Ptolemaic and Roman Alexandrian deific depictions (page 40). The head of the painting's goddess-Ptolemaic queen closely resembles a marble head discovered during 1783-1784 excavations at the Villa of the Quintilii (Italian: Villa dei Quintili), an ancient Roman villa sited between Via Appia Antica and Via Appia Nuova. The marble head represents Cleopatra and replicates her statue in Forum Iulium's Temple of Venus Genetrix, according to identifications that Susan Walker (page 40) credits to German archaeologist Ludwig Curtius (Dec. 13, 1874-April 10, 1954) in ""Ikonographische Beiträge zum Porträt der Römischen Republik und der Julisch-Claudischen Familie," published in Römische Mitteilungen in 1933 (pages 182-192).

The inspiration for the painted and sculpted likenesses has disappeared in two millennia that have elapsed since the statue's dedication Sep. 26, 46 BCE. Also, no helpful, specific descriptions of the statue exist.

Caesar ". . . placed a beautiful image of Cleopatra by the side of the goddess, . . ." (HR XIV, BCII.X.102, page 417), assessed Greek-born, later Roman citizen, writer Appian of Alexandria (Ancient Greek: Ἀππιανὸς Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Appianòs Alexandreýs; ca. 95-ca. 165 CE) in the De Bellis Civilibus (Of the Civil Wars) section of his Greek-language, 24-volume work, Historia Romana (Roman History).

Cleopatra ". . . is seen in gold in the shrine of Venus," noted Roman historian Lucius Cassius Dio (ca. 155-235 CE), known as Dio Cassius, in Roman History (Ῥωμαϊκὴ Ἱστορία, Historia Romana), his historical compendium of ancient Rome, written in Greek (Dio's Roman History, Vol. VI, Book LI.22, page 65).

Unfortunately, reconstruction of the lost statue of Cleopatra requires more than the admiring details of "beautiful" and "golden." Yet, imagination may glimpse the lost statue in associative artworks, such as the Pompeiian painting and the Quintilii marble head.

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Dedication

This post is dedicated to the memory of our beloved blue-eyed brother, Charles, who guided the creation of the Met Opera and Astronomy posts on Earth and Space News. We memorialized our brother in "Our Beloved Blue-Eyed Brother, Charles, With Whom We Are Well Pleased," published on Earth and Space News on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, an anniversary of our beloved father's death.

Image credits:

The marble bust of Cleopatra VII found during excavations at the Villa of the Quintilii has been likened to the lost statue of Cleopatra that Julius Caesar commissioned for the Temple of Venus Genetrix that was included in his namesake forum in Rome; the ca. 40-30 BCE bust is displayed in the Vatican Museum's (Musei Vaticani) Gregorian Profane Museum (Museo Gregoriano Profano); Friday, May 9, 2008, 14:11: Sergey Sosnovskiy (Ancientrome.ru), CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cleopatra_VII,_Marble,_40-30_BC,_Vatican_Museums_001.jpg; Sergey Sosnovskiy, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Ancientrome.ru @ http://ancientrome.ru/art/artworken/img.htm?id=6364

For further information:

Allison, Penelope. "Review: M. Grimaldi, Pompei: La Casa di Marco Fabio Rufu (Collana Pompei 2); M. Grimaldi, Pompei: Il Foro Civile Nella Pompeianarum Antiquitatum Historia di G. Fiorelli (Collana Pompei 3)." The Journal of Roman Studies, vol. 107 (2017): 346-348.
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Available via JSTOR @ https://www.jstor.org/stable/26576059
Available via JSTOR @ https://www.jstor.org/stable/e26576041

Aoyagi, Masanori; and Umberto Pappalardo. Pompei (Regiones VI-VII) Insula Occidentalis. Collana Pompei, volume primo. Napoli: Valtrend Editore, 2006.

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Bellomo, M. (Mariangela); and S. (Salvatore) D'Agostino. "Excavation, restoration and conservation of archaeological sites -- Villa dei Quintili on the Appia Antica in Rome." WIT Transactions on the Built Environment, vol. 42 (1999): 451-460.
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Ciardiello, Rosaria. "VI 17 Insula Occidentalis 42 Casa del Bracciale d’Oro." In: Massanori Aoyagi and Umberto Pappalardo, eds., Pompei (Regiones VI-VII) Insula Occidentalis. Collana Pompei, volume primo. Napoli: Valtrend Editore, 2006.
Available via Academia @ https://www.academia.edu/es/4224088/VI_17_Insula_Occidentalis_42_Casa_del_Bracciale_dOro_in_Pompei_Regiones_VI_VII_Insula_Occidentalis_Tokyo_2006

Clarke, John R. "Pompei. La Casa di Marco Fabio Rufo. Collana Pompei, vol. 2." Bryn Mawr Classical Review, February 2015.
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Clements, Peter. "House of M. Fabius Rufus: Description of the House (Reg VII, Ins 16, 17-22)." AD79 Destruction and Re-Discovery > Map of Pompeii.
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Clements, Peter. "Marina Gate." AD79 Destruction and Re-Discovery > Pompeii > The City Gates.
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Clements, Peter. "Regio VII." AD79 Destruction and Re-Discovery > Excavations at Pompeii > Map of Pompeii > (c) Notable Private Houses > Rufus (House of M. Fabius).
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Curtius, Ludwig. "Ikonographische Beiträge zum Porträt der Römischen Republik und der Julisch-Claudischen Familie: IV Kleopatra VII. Philopator." Römische Mitteilungen, band 48 (1933): 182-192.

de Caro, Stefano; Roberto Cassanelli; Pier Luigi Ciapparelli; Enrico Colle; and Massimiliano David. Houses and Monuments of Pompeii: The Work of Fausto and Felice Niccolini. Los Angeles CA: J. Paul Getty Museum.

Di Maio, Rosa; Ester Piegari; Cecilia Mancini; and Antonella Chiapparino. "Quantitative analysis of pulse thermography data for degradation assessment of historical buildings." EPJ Plus The European Physical Journal Plus, vol. 130, no. 6 (June 2015), article no. 105.
Available via ResearchGate @ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277414313_Quantitative_analysis_of_pulse_thermography_data_for_degradation_assessment_of_historical_buildings

Dunn, Jackie and Bob. "VII.16.17-22 Pompeii. December 2007. Looking east into cubiculum. East wall concealing hidden wall with a painting of a woman standing in a doorway." Pompeii in Pictures > Pompeii Regio VII.
Available @ http://www.pompeiiinpictures.com/pompeiiinpictures/r7/7%2016%2022%20p6.htm

Dunn, Jackie and Bob. "VII.16.22 Pompeii. Casa di Fabio Rufo or House of M Fabius Rufus. Linked to VII.16.17, VII.16.20 and VII.16.21. Excavated 1759, 1910, 1940, 1958-1980. Shown as number 19 on Eschebach site plan. Also includes the inside pictures of VII.16.17 Casa di Maius Castricius." Pompeii in Pictures > Pompeii Regio VII.
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Elderkin, G.W. (George Wicker). "The Venus Genetrix of Arcesilaus." American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 42, no. 3 (July-September 1938): 371-374.
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Grimaldi, Mario. "VII 16 Insula Occidentalis 22." In: Massanori Aoyagi and Umberto Pappalardo, eds., Pompei (Regiones VI-VII) Insula Occidentalis. Collana Pompei, volume primo. Napoli: Valtrend Editore, 2006.

Grossi, Olindo. "The Forum of Julius Caesar and the Temple of Venus Genetrix." Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, vol. 13 (1936): 215-220+2.
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Jane Sancinito, PhD @JaneSancinito. "Broke: Low ponytail Woke: Imitating the style of Roman Empress Sabina Augusta." Twitter. Nov. 8, 2019.
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Jashemski, Wilhelmina F. (Feemster). The Gardens of Pompeii: Herculaneum and the Villas Destroyed by Vesuvius. Volume 2: Appendices. New Rochelle NY: Aristide D. Caratzas, 1993.

Lucius Cassius Dio. ". . . . Thus Cleopatra, though defeated and captured, was nevertheless glorified, inasmuch as her adornments repose as decorations in our temples and she herself is seen in gold in the shrine of Venus." Book LI.22, pages 62-65. Dio's Roman History, vol. VI. With an English Translation by Earnest Cary, Ph.D. On the Basis of the Version of Herbert Baldwin Forster, Ph.D. Loeb Classical Library LBL 175. First printed 1917. Reprinted 1955. London: William Heinemann Ltd; Cambridge MA Harvard University Press, MCMLV [1955].
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/diosromanhistory06cassuoft/page/62/mode/1up

Marriner, Derdriu. "Beware the Ides of March: The Assassination of Julius Caesar." Earth and Space News. Thursday, March 3, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/03/beware-ides-of-march-assassination-of.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Beware the Ides of March Meal: Caesar or Brutus Salad, Cleopatra's Dulcis Coccora, Caesar Cocktail." Earth and Space News. Thursday, March 10, 2022.
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Marriner, Derdriu. "Caesar Commissioned Gilt Statue of Cleopatra for Venus Genetrix Temple." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Sep. 22, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/09/caesar-commissioned-gilt-statue-of.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Caesar Salad Recipe: Named for Chef Cesare Cardini, Not Julius Caesar. Earth and Space News. Thursday, March 17, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/03/caesar-salad-recipe-named-for-chef.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Caesarion Sought to Refuge in India But Was Lured Away To Be Murdered." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/08/caesarion-sought-to-refuge-in-india-but.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Cleopatra Had Planned Flight From Egypt But Nabateans Burned Her Ships." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Sep. 1, 2022.
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Marriner, Derdriu. "Cleopatra or Caesarion Could Have Refuged in Five Ports in Western India." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Sep. 8, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/09/cleopatra-or-caesarion-could-have.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Julius Caesar's Birth Quintilis 12/13 Became July in Julian Calendar." Earth and Space News. Thursday, July 21, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/07/julius-caesars-birth-quintilis-1213.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Mother and Child Fresco in Pompeii May Depict Cleopatra With Caesarion." Earth and Space News. Thursday, Sep. 15, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/09/mother-and-child-fresco-in-pompeii-may.html

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Notomista, Mario; and Eva Piccirilli. "VII.16.22 Pompeii. Casa di Fabio Rufo or House of M Fabius Rufus. Planimetra del primo piano sottostante. Plan of first lower floor." In: Massanori Aoyagi and Umberto Pappalardo, Pompei (Regiones VI-VII) Insula Occidentalis, Collana Pompei, volume primo (Napoli: Valtrend Editore, 2006), Tav. 9, page 271.
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White, Horace, trans. "Chap.XV.102. . . . He erected the temple to Venus, his ancestress, as he had vowed to do when he was about to begin the battle of Pharsalus, and he laid out ground around the temple which he intended to be a forum for the Roman people, not for buying and selling, but a meeting-place for the transaction of public business, like the public squares of the Persians, where the people assemble to seek justice or to learn the laws. He placed a beautiful image of Cleopatra by the side of the goddess, which stands there to this day. . . ." Pages 414-417. Appian's Roman History: The Civil Wars. In four volumes. Volume III. Book II: 229-515. First printed 1913. Reprinted 1933, 1958, 1964. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., MCMLXIV (1964).
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Thursday, September 15, 2022

Mother and Child Fresco in Pompeii May Depict Cleopatra With Caesarion

Summary: A Mother and Child fresco in Pompeii may depict Cleopatra with Caesarion in symbolic poses as Venus in her Genetrix (mother) role with her son, Cupid.

A hidden Mother and Child fresco in Pompeii may depict Cleopatra with Caesarion in a symbolic representation of the last two Ptolemaic rulers as Venus Genetrix (Venus the Mother) with Cupid.

The presumed portrait of Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra VII Philopator (Ancient Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ, Kleopatra Philopator; ca. 69-Aug. 10 or 12, 30 BCE) was painted on the east wall of room 71 and then was hidden at a later date by a painted wall. The earlier and later wall paintings have survived to a height of 2 meters (6.56 feet) and of 1.4 to 1.8 meters (4.59 to 5.9 feet), respectively, in the barrel vaulted room, according to archaeologist Susan Walker (born Sep. 11, 1948) in "Cleopatra in Pompeii?", published in the November 2008 issue of Papers of the British School at Rome (page 35).

The two paintings both exemplify the Second Style of the four styles of Pompeiian wall paintings (page 38). The Second Style dates from its earliest known display, on the walls of the ancient Roman city's Small Theatre, built after 80 BCE, through the first century BCE, as described by the four-style classification's developer, German art historian and archaeologist August Mau (Oct. 15, 1840-March 6, 1909), in Pompeji in Leben und Kunst (page 481; Pompeii: Its Life and Art, page 452). Mau designated the Second Style as the Architectural Style, for its predominant architectural scenes.

The earlier painting's central placement of a female figure, with winged infant on her right shoulder, however, diverges from the Second Style's customary emphasis on architectural elements. With a height of 57 centimeters (22.4409 inches; 0.57 meters; 1.87 feet), the female stands between two partially opened, elaborately paneled doors (page 36).

The later, blocking painted wall continues the architectural scene depicted on the adjacent, south wall (page 38). The whitish-grey jambs of the blocking wall's central door, accessed by the dado's painted, short staircase (American English: stoop), contrasts dully with the earlier painting's vibrant, golden jambs.

The earlier painting's stately female with winged child suggests the Roman goddess Venus and her son, Cupid. The infant male snuggles against the right side of his mother's neck and head and touches her chin with his right hand. The cuddling pose of Cupid on his mother's shoulder signifies Venus in her aspect as Genetrix (Latin: genetrix, "mother, ancestress").

Roman general and statesman Gaius Julius Caesar (July 12 or 13, 100-March 15, 44 BCE) is credited with the first dedication of a temple honoring Venus's aspect as Genetrix. He recognized Venus as the mythical ancestress, Genetrix, of the Julian lineage, gens Julia, who claim descent from Trojan hero Aeneas, son of Trojan prince Anchises and goddess Venus. Caesar placed the temple, which was dedicated Sep. 26, 46 BCE, in his newly constructed square, Forum of Caesar (Latin: Forum Iulium or Forum Julium), which was located in the northeastern sector of central Rome's Roman Forum (Latin: Forum Romanum).

The female figure is adorned with jewellery fashionably styled to Pompeii and Greek Alexandria in the mid-first century BCE (pages 39-40). A trident-shaped earring decorates her left ear, while the winged male infant obscures her right ear. A heavily pendanted gold necklace and a body chain reaching to her hips ornament her neck and torso. Snake bracelets encircle her wrists.

A golden diadem, set with a large, red central gem, bordered with gold balls and positioned above curly, short bangs, conveys her eliteness. A purple mantle, overlain with a transparent, white veil, frames the female's diadem and face as the elegant garments drape her head and shoulders. Her purple mantle recalls the purple toga worn by Julius Caesar during his dictatorship, from 49 BCE to his assassination, March 15, 44 BCE.

The veil's crinkly edges hint at the melon hairstyle that was fashionable among Hellenistic Greek queens and high-status females in the mid-first century BCE. Reminiscent of a melon's ridged skin, the melon coiffure featured curly, short bangs and styled the hair into sections that were pulled into a bun at the nape of the neck.

Portrayals of Cleopatra include depictions of the melon hairstyle. The female figure painted in Pompeii, for example, is likened to the Head of Cleopatra VII, found during the 1783-1784 excavations by Venceslao Pezzolli at the ruins of the Villa of the Quintilii (Italian: Villa dei Quintili), located outside of Rome near the Via Appia Antica (Old or Ancient Appian Way). The villa's bust portrays the last Ptolemaic queen with a melon hairstyle.

If the Pompeiian painting depicts Cleopatra as Venus Genetrix, then Cupid likely represents Cleopatra's first child, Ptolemy XV Caesar Philopator Philometor (Ancient Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Καῖσαρ Φιλοπάτωρ Φιλομήτωρ, Ptolemaios Kaisar Philopator Philometor, "Ptolemy Caesar, Beloved of his Father, Beloved of his Mother"; 47-30 BCE). Known as Caesarion (Ancient Greek: Καισαρίων, Kaisarion, "Little Caesar"), he was fathered by Julius Caesar.

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Dedication

detail of hidden painting of Caesarion-Cleopatra / Cupid-Venus Genetrix in cubiculum of House of Marcus Fabius Rufus in Pompeii; Wednesday, June 20, 2018, 14:19: PericlesOfAthens, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Venus_and_Cupid_from_the_House_of_Marcus_Fabius_Rufus_at_Pompeii,_most_likely_a_depiction_of_Cleopatra_VII_(5).jpg

Wall (lower half) in cubiculum of Pompeiian House of Marcus Fabius Rufus hid painting of Cleopatra with Caesarion (upper half); Saturday, March 10, 2018, 09:09: PericlesOfAthens, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Venus_and_Cupid_from_the_House_of_Marcus_Fabius_Rufus_at_Pompeii,_most_likely_a_depiction_of_Cleopatra_VII_(full_view).jpg

For further information:

Ambler, Jessica. "Roman wall painting styles." Khan Academy > Arts and humanities Ancient Mediterranean + Europe Ancient Rome Wall painting.
Available @ https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/wall-painting/a/roman-wall-painting-styles

Aoyagi, Masanori; and Umberto Pappalardo. Pompei (Regiones VI-VII) Insula Occidentalis. Collana Pompei, volume primo. Napoli: Valtrend Editore, 2006.

The British Museum. "Copper alloy coin. (whole) (whole) Bust of Cleopatra VII facing right, wearing a 'stephane' (crown)." The British Museum > Collection.
Available @ https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_1844-0425-99

Clements, Peter and Michael. "House of M. Fabius Rufus: Description of the House (Reg VII, Ins 16, 17-22)." AD79 Destruction and Re-Discovery > Excavations at Pompeii > Map of Pompeii > (c) Notable Private Houses > Rufus (House of M. Fabius).
Available @ https://sites.google.com/site/ad79eruption/pompeii/regio-vii/reg-vii-ins-16/house-of-m-fabius-rufus

Grout, James. "Temple of Venus Genetrix." Penelope Uchicago > Not Browne > James Grout's Encyclopedia Romana > Roma > Roman Forum > Imperial Fora > Forum of Julius.
Available @ https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/imperialfora/julius/venusgenetrix.html

Grout, James. "Was Cleopatra Beautiful?" Penelope Uchicago > Not Browne > James Grout's Encyclopedia Romana > Roma > Notae > Miscellanea > Cleopatra > Her Beauty.
Available @ https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/cleopatra/bust.html

The historicity of historic historiography guy @ArmaOrientalis. "Replying to @rogueclassicist. With Mark Antony, Cleopatra was the first foreign queen to appear on Roman coinage, maybe the inspiration for Caesar to become the first living Roman on coins. The fresco in the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus doesn't just show Cleopatra as Venus, but also Caesarion as a cupid." Twitter. July 25, 2020.
Available @ https://twitter.com/ArmaOrientalis/status/1287051520706580489

The historicity of historic historiography guy @ArmaOrientalis. "Replying to @sadistic2BM. Your wrong about the artwork. Above are not only coins minted during each year of Cleopatra's reign, but also Roman marble busts made while she was in Italy in 46-44 BC, including the Pompeii fresco from the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus depicting her and Caesar's son Caesarion." Twitter. July 27, 2019.
Available @ https://twitter.com/ArmaOrientalis/status/1155017514461618176

Kelsey, Francis W., trans. Pompeii: Its Life and Art by August Mau. New edition, revised and corrected. Copyright 1899, 1902. New York: The Macmillan Company; London: The Macmillan & Co., Ltd., 1902.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/pompeiiitslifear00mauauoft/
Available via Project Gutenberg @ https://www.gutenberg.org/files/42715/42715-h/42715-h.htm

Life at the BSR. "Crossing cultures and crossing paths at the Ashmolean." Life at the BSR: The blog of the British School at Rome. April 17, 2015.
Available @ https://britishschoolatrome.wordpress.com/tag/susan-walker/

Mau, August. Geschichte der decorativen Wandmalerei in Pompeij. Berlin: G. Reimer, 1882.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/geschichtederdec00maua

Mau, August. Pompeji in Leben und Kunst. Zweiten auflage. Leipzig: Wilhelm Engelmann, 1908.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/pompejiinlebenun00mauaiala/

McManus, Barbara F. "The Cubiculum." VROMA > Barbara McManus > Web Project -- Rome: Republic to Empire > Civilization and Culture Topics: The Roman House.
Available @ http://vroma.org/vromans/bmcmanus/cubiculum.html

ninamil7. "The Four Styles of Roman Wall Paintings." University of Washington Departments Web Server > Honors Program in Rome. Sep. 14, 2005.
Available @ https://depts.washington.edu/hrome/Authors/ninamil7/TheFourStylesofRomanWallPaintings/pub_zbarticle_view_printable.html

Roller, Duane W. Cleopatra: A Biography. Women in Antiquity series. New York NY: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Viegas, Jennifer. "Cleopatra avoided bad hair days." ABC > ABC Science > News in Science. Monday, March 20, 2006.
Available @ https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/03/20/1595873.htm

Walker, Susan. "Cleopatra in Pompeii?" Papers of the British School at Rome, vol. 76 (November 2008): 35-46, 345-348.
Available via JSTOR @ https://www.jstor.org/stable/40311128

Wallace-Hadrill, Andrew. Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton Review Press, 1994.