Italian school (XVII) - Plus Intus Quam Foris – Großformatiges Barockfresko mit Vulkan

Large-format Baroque Strappo fresco “PLUS INTUS QUAM FORIS” – Italy, 17th century

Extraordinary large fragment of an Italian wall painting with an allegorical volcanic landscape, framed in a richly ornate Baroque cartouche.

In the center, an erupting volcano rises, its plume of smoke and fire dominating the otherwise calm landscape. The depiction is accompanied by the Latin motto “PLUS INTUS QUAM FORIS” – roughly “More inside than outside.”

The combination of image and Latin aphorism aligns with the tradition of emblematic imagery, which in the 17th century was common in the decoration of representative and sacred spaces. The volcano can be understood as a symbol of a hidden, inwardly acting force: beneath an outwardly calm surface lies an energy that only reveals itself in eruption. It is precisely the contrast between outer calm and inner tension that gives the depiction its particular effect.

The fresco belongs to a preserved group of three wall paintings that are stylistically and conceptually related. Another fragment shows a musical Siren with the motto “DULCEDINE CAPIT,” and a third fragment a tree and a mirror with “IN ME IPSO SE FALLIT.” The recurring combination of landscape, allegorical motif, ornamental cartouche, and Latin motto suggests an originally integrated emblematic pictorial cycle.

According to traditional sources, the fragments come from Southern Italy or the Naples area and are said to have belonged to an erstwhile monastic context. Since the original architectural origin cannot be documented today, this provenance should be understood as tradition rather than a definitive attribution.

The wall painting was presumably detached from its original wall by the Strappo technique around the mid-20th century and thus preserved. Later conservation-and-restoration measures followed.

Today the fresco is mounted on an aluminum Dibond panel and reinforced on the back with a sturdy wooden construction. This allows the originally architecture-bound wall fragment to be presented today as an independent large-format artwork.

The historical surface with patina, rubbings, and age-related defects was left visible, conveying the fragmentary character and the history of the work.

With its approx. 196 × 130 cm, the fresco has an extraordinary spatial presence. The monumental Baroque cartouche, the unusual volcano iconography, and the Latin motto make it a striking example of emblematic Italian wall painting.

Italy, 17th century
Italian School (17th century)
Baroque
Strappo / detached wall painting
Unsigned
Dimensions: approx. 196 × 130 cm

The interior scene shown, if any, is a visualization and serves solely to illustrate the size and impact of the fresco in a spatial context."}