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This amazing portrait is one of the preserved frescoes (painting on wet plaster—allows for pigments to bind to the wall surface) from Pompeii. It was probably created from 55-79 CE; frescos were common in ancient Roman houses (with mosaics on the floor). It was located in the atrium, a formal entrance hall where guests were received. When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried, allowing modern day archaeologists to catch an informative glimpse of daily (albeit privileged) Roman life.
In the double portrait, the man, Terentius Neo, is believed to own a bakery (he was wealthy enough to pay for a formal portrait). He wears a traditional roman toga, the symbol of Roman politics and the cursus honorum, and holds a scroll, making him look important and educated. His skin is olive, and he has dark features and a wispy beard/mustache. His wife looks inquisitive like she’s confronting and contemplating the viewer. She has broad eyebrows, a pale complexion, a curly hairstyle parted in the middle (like the bust of Young Flavian Woman), pearl earrings, and a still-vibrant red garment. She holds a stylus to her lips and an open diptych (two paneled item), meaning she is wealthy and educated.