French photographer Bernard Chevalier has documented the remnants of ancient Roman wall paintings at the archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum, focusing on the deteriorating frescoes that remain after major artworks were removed for conservation. His photographic project explores what he calls "details of what remains of remnants" - fragments of decorative paintings that offer glimpses into the visual culture of ancient Roman civilization.
Chevalier's work specifically examines the wall paintings left behind after museum curators removed the most significant pieces for preservation and display at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. These remaining fragments showcase elements of Roman artistic imagination, including depictions of animals, mythological figures, urban landscapes, and scenes from daily life. However, these images now exist in various states of decay - cracked, faded, nearly erased, and often isolated among deteriorated wall supports or crudely patched together with modern cement and mortar.
Despite their damaged condition, these surviving paintings retain a powerful ability to evoke the private and public spaces of urban Roman life that was suddenly frozen by the catastrophic volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Chevalier describes these remnants as "embers still warm beneath the ashes of time," suggesting their continued emotional and historical resonance nearly two millennia after the disaster that preserved them.
The photographer approaches these fragmented artworks through a contemporary lens, seeing parallels between their deteriorated state and modern artistic movements. The natural degradation and fragmentation of these ancient paintings evoke what Chevalier characterizes as "some modern deconstruction of representation." This perspective influenced his decision to photograph these particular remnants, viewing them not just as archaeological artifacts but as inadvertent examples of deconstructed art.
Chevalier's project takes its philosophical foundation from the Latin phrase "Omnia mutantur, nihil interit," meaning "everything changes, nothing perishes," attributed to the Roman poet Ovid. This concept underlies his artistic interpretation of the Pompeii fragments, suggesting that while the physical paintings may deteriorate, their cultural and artistic significance endures and continues to speak to contemporary audiences through new forms of artistic expression.
