Osteria Della Via di Mercurio Room Fresco

Osteria Della Via di Mercurio Room Fresco, Pompeii, ca.

Every now and then, people will go out to have a meal. Moms, Dads, Grandparents, and kids get together and eat in a restaurant. However, what if those kids were to work in a restaurant instead of eating in one? That is what kids of around twelve or thirteen would do in Ancient Rome. Can you imagine having to work at your favorite restaurant instead of eating there? It was usually the kids job to serve the adults all their food and drink (even wine!). Paintings like these were found all over restaurant walls in Ancient Rome, just like how restaurants have art on the walls today. The only difference is that these pictures are painted directly on the wall instead of being hung up like lots of paintings today. The type of painting like the one in the picture is called a fresco, and is a water based painting style. Water based paints are still used today, often for painting the outside of buildings and houses like yours.

Sources:

Ruddell, Sharon Marie. “The Inn, Restaurant and Tavern Business in Ancient Pompeii.” Thesis (M), University of Maryland, 1964, pp. 1–68.

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "fresco painting." Encyclopedia Britannica, May 22, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/art/fresco-painting.