ROME (AP) — Archaeologists have found in an ancient Pompeii bedroom a fresco depicting a sensual scene of a goddess and swan.

The figure of goddess Leda being impregnated by a swan representing Roman god Jupiter was a fairly common theme in home decoration in Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum, another ancient town destroyed in A.D. 79 by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius near present-day Naples.

But Pompeii archaeological park director Massimo Osanna praised this fresco as exceptional since the goddess appears to look at whoever's looking at the fresco upon entering the bedroom.

"Leda watches the spectator with a sensuality that's absolutely pronounced," Osanna told the Italian news agency ANSA.

The fresco features details like a depiction of Leda protecting the swan with her cloak as the bird sits on her lap.

Osanna coyly noted the fresco's context of the Greek "myth of love, with an explicit sensuality in a bedroom where, obviously beside sleep, there could be other activities."

The bedroom is located near a corridor by the entranceway of an upscale domus, or home, where another splendid fresco was previously discovered, said the archaeological park, which is part of the Italian Culture Ministry.

The fresco was discovered Friday during ongoing work to consolidate the ancient city's structures after rains and wear-and-tear in past years caused some ruins to collapse, the tourist site's officials said.

Osanna said one hypothesis is that the home's owner was a rich merchant who wanted to give the impression he was culturally advanced by his choice in decorating with myth-inspired frescoes.

Because of safety concerns, the remaining unexcavated parts of the domus where the fresco was found will probably remain that way, ANSA said. Archaeologists are considering removing the fresco, as well as another fresco that was found earlier in the home's entranceway earlier this year, to a place where "they can be protected and shown to the public," Osanna was quoted as saying.

Pompeii's sprawling, still partially excavated grounds are one of Italy's top tourist attractions.