House of the Golden Cupids, Pompei

The House of the Golden Cupids was first excavated between 1903 and 1905. It is situated on Vesuvius Street, and is believed to have been owned by Gnaeus Poppaeus Habitus, a wealthy local figure. Hidden behind an unremarkable façade, the house is renowned for several ornate Third Style artworks discovered on its walls. Dating from the end of the reign of Augustus Caesar, the Third Style is defined by delicate, colourful frescoes influenced by Egyptian art.

The walls of the house feature a number of red and yellow panels with elaborate paintings at their centres. While many of the artworks have faded, several surviving examples depict mythical scenes. Off the large peristyle garden, a grand reception room features a well-preserved fresco of Helen and Paris following their arrival in Troy. An adjacent exedra, or alcove off the same central courtyard, features large panels depicting dramatic theatre masks and characters from Greek myth. Both the exedra and tablinum, or main reception room, are notable for their fine floors made of precious, inlaid multicoloured marble.

The building gained its name from two glass discs, found in a bedroom, with cherubs etched onto gold leaf. The room also features remarkable Fourth Style decoration: a symmetrical pattern of painted red and yellow hexagons, which almost resembles modern wallpaper. Many of the rooms also feature frescoes on their ceilings, making the house one of the most heavily decorated in the city.