Sandi Baier has been working extensively in watercolors for the past three years after retiring from teaching in New Hampshire. She received art training from California State University, Long Beach and San Bernardino Valley College before moving to New Hampshire. She currently resides in Clermont, Florida with her husband, Steve.

"Via Stabiana"  
Watercolor, 2020

During the excavations, archeologists discovered remains of commercial and residential streets, accurately depicting life in Pompeii. This painting illustrates a street view of Via Stabiana and the Street Shrine for the Lares Compitales* looking southeast. The doorway to the left contains a plaque “DOMVS PORDI SECVNDI AVGVSTIANI.”
The pedestrian stones bisect the street allowing citizens to cross the road without getting their feet dirty or wet. Streets were often filthy due to the lack of a proper sewer network. The crossing stones were placed so that carts could still pass, as evidenced by the ruts still left in the road by the cart wheels. ”Lares Compitales” guarded major crossroads (compitum). In general folklore, crossroads are regarded to be a “no-man’s land” or open territory, governed by no one. Romans would erect a shrine at the crossroads, which is open to allow free passage of the various Lar.

Painted from a photograph contributed by and authorized for creative use by: Cheryl Hansen, February 9, 2017.