"Flora" or "Spring" Fresco from Stabiae Brooch

Known as "Flora," or "Spring," this youthful figure is one of the most recognizable figures from ancient Rome. She is a detail of an ancient wall painting from the luxurious Villa Arianna (first century AD) at the Roman resort town of Stabiae, which was situated along the coast of the Bay of Naples, south of Pompeii.

The maiden silently glides through the green fields that make up the background of the fresco on which she was painted. Barefoot, she gently and daintily picks flowers with her right hand; her left arm holds a basket full of her floral harvest. The original figure is only 30 cm tall, but she is charged with energy, and her power is inexplicable. Her back is to the viewer, yet we feel invited into her journey. Today, this painting is housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.