Pompeii, Herculaneum and the interpretation of classical antiquity in the paintings of the second half of the Nineteenth century
Striking archaeological finds in Pompeii and in the Vesuvian area – which have been accurately excavated during the Nineteenth century – have deeply influenced the imagery of painters and writers throughout the century, giving a lively and vital image of that ancient world with its social, political and everyday life.
Thanks to his deep archaeological and literary knowledge of classical antiquity, Alma-Tadema – who was born in the Netherlands but lived and worked in England – was able to bring a lost world to life again, a world where scenes from everyday life assumed the shades of myth. From Alma-Tadema, the leader of the movement, to the Italian and international schools, this style is analysed in all its different interpretative facets. Striking archaeological finds in Pompeii and in the Vesuvian area – which have been accurately excavated during the Nineteenth century – have deeply influenced the imagery of painters and writers throughout the century, giving a lively and vital image of that ancient world with its social, political and everyday life.
Thanks to his deep archaeological and literary knowledge of classical antiquity, Alma-Tadema – who was born in the Netherlands but lived and worked in England – was able to bring a lost world to life again, a world where scenes from everyday life assumed the shades of myth. From Alma-Tadema, the leader of the movement, to the Italian and international schools, this style is analysed in all its different interpretative facets. The book describes painting of history ?] inspired by documental and archaeological evidences of the classic world, as well as the sketches drawn from life in the archaeological sites by artists, architects, and professional illustrators. It also analyses some fundamental literary sources, such as guides and novels set in the buried cities