The Triple Pompejanum Possessed by the von Stryk Family: The Manor Houses of Vana-Võidu, Suure-Kõpu and Voltveti

Abstract

The article is inspired by the fascinating findings and conservation work done on the Pompeian style murals in Estonian manor houses during the last few decades. The focus is on the murals in the manor houses of Voltveti, Suure-Kopu and Vana-Voidu – all of which belonged to different members of the von Stryk family of Baltic Germans. The article focuses on the figurative paintings and the style of the murals, as well as on an art-history-related interpretation and a wider contextual analysis of the Vana-Voidu wall paintings. These finds are the most recent, and this article will study the possible models and ideas for them, search for their art history context and importance among the triple Pompejanum of the von Strycks. The wall paintings in the Suure-Kopu and Voltveti manor houses are used as reference material. The Vana-Voidu, Suure-Kopu and Voltveti manor houses were rebuilt in the late neoclassical style between 1830s and 1840s. The wall paintings in these late neoclassical manor houses were made during the second half of the 19th century and were inspired, in all cases, by a desire to achieve the look of an ancient interior. There are Pompeian-style murals in all three manors. In Suure-Kopu and Vana- Voidu, can see figurative paintings as well as the division of the walls into panels, which is characteristic of the Pompeian style. In Voltveti, there are no figurative paintings and the colour palette – alternating warm and cool pastel shades – is not characteristic of the Pompeian style, but the ornamental motives are derived from antiquity. It is known that different publications about the excavated Campanian cities, were available in Estonia in the 19th century. Apparently, the von Stryk brothers and the painter(s) were able to use the published motifs, because the figurative paintings at Vana-Voidu and Suure- Kopu are very accurately detailed.