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-Kõpu and Vana-Võidu – 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-Võidu 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-Kõpu and Voltveti manor houses are
used as reference material.

The Vana-Võidu, Suure-Kõpu 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-Kõpu and Vana-
Võidu, 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-Võidu and Suure-
Kõpu are very accurately detailed.