houses of much greater depth, has a white curved ceiling, with broad
blue, red, and green lines on it. The upper part of walls white, a
frieze of black below it, yellow panels with white borders, black dado.
The paintings of the Ala have been taken from a house near the Basilica.
The great picture is called Cupid Condemned to Labour. The height of the
mountain in the background is very remarkable.
The picture is surrounded with red, and flanked with white columns,
having bright patterns spirally arranged upon them. On either side of
the chief picture are two floating figures upon a yellow ground,
surrounded by a chaste white patterned border, that has been published
by Zahn. To the left are two Cupids bearing a square pharetra or quiver.
To the right a lovely Cupid with crimson drapery, carrying a lyre such
as Apollo sometimes plays; he is assisted in the operation by a Psyche
with purple butterfly wings, a purple undervest and green over it,
wearing pale blue boots. These little figures are copied from a house
near the forum. In the spandril is an architectural scroll-work in gay
colours, with two lions leaping through it, a peculiarity to be seen in
the Temple of Isis, at Pompeii, and in the Theatre of Myra, in Lycia.