Architectures fictives de Famars. Mise en évidence d'une « vogue » picturale archaïsante antonino-sévérienne

The painted coatings of Famars were discovered in 1980 among the remnants of a hypocaust, on parcel AC69, near the spot called « Jardin-à-Pois ». Owing to the lack of a rational collecting of fragments and of precise chronological data provided through the digging operations, the dating of the paintings could only be effected through a stylistic study. Among the paintings, a deceptive architectural composition clearly betokens the desire of the patrons to take example of the decorative patterns of the « 2nd style ». This retrospective yearning is however quite inkeeping with post-Pompeian aesthetics. Comparisons, in particular with pictoral groups of the north-western provinces and of Italy, lead us to integrate the Famars painted coatings to a strong trend of archaic decoration which develops to a strong trend of archaic decoration which develops itself in the middle of the IInd century A.D. , and whose many different modes of evolution will have to be studied according to the different areas where it spread. This fad, which denotes a deeply-rooted desire for the permanence of Roman identity, is a fundamental landmark in the slow process leading from Antiquity to the Middle Ages.The painted coatings of Famars were discovered in 1980 among the remnants of a hypocaust, on parcel AC69, near the spot called « Jardin-à-Pois ». Owing to the lack of a rational collecting of fragments and of precise chronological data provided through the digging operations, the dating of the paintings could only be effected through a stylistic study. Among the paintings, a deceptive architectural composition clearly betokens the desire of the patrons to take example of the decorative patterns of the « 2nd style ». This retrospective yearning is however quite inkeeping with post-Pompeian aesthetics. Comparisons, in particular with pictoral groups of the north-western provinces and of Italy, lead us to integrate the Famars painted coatings to a strong trend of archaic decoration which develops to a strong trend of archaic decoration which develops itself in the middle of the IInd century A.D. , and whose many different modes of evolution will have to be studied according to the different areas where it spread. This fad, which denotes a deeply-rooted desire for the permanence of Roman identity, is a fundamental landmark in the slow process leading from Antiquity to the Middle Ages.De muurschilderingen van Famars werden in 1980 ontdekt tussen de overblijfselen van een hypocaustum, op het perceel AC 69, bij het gehucht « Jardin-à-Pois ». De stukken werden zonder méthode verzameld en men beschikt ook niet over preciese chronologische gege- vens zodat men zijn toevlucht moet nemen tot een stijlcritische benadering voor de date- ring. Bij de gevonden fragmenten is er een architectuurcompositie in trompe l'œil die sterk aanleunt bij de decoratieve modellen van de « Tweede Stijl ». Dit teruggrijpen naar oude voorbeelden is een kenmerk van de post-pompeiaanse esthetiek. Men vindt nog andere voorbeelden daarvan in de Noordwestelijke provincies en in Italie, en de schilderingen van Famars kunnen dus gesitueerd worden in een ruim verspreide decoratieve en archaïserende stijl die zich ontwikkelt vanaf het midden van de ue eeuw, en waarvan men de preciese evo- lutie zal moeten bestuderen in het vermelde verspreidingsgebied. Deze mode wijst op de wil de Romeinse modellen te bewaren. Het is een belangrijke fase in de langzame evolutie die leidt van de antieke kunst naar die van de middeleeuwen.Belot Eric. Architectures fictives de Famars. Mise en évidence d'une « vogue » picturale archaïsante antonino-sévérienne. In: Revue du Nord, tome 67, n°264, Janvier-mars 1985. pp. 21-62