Within the framework of the Great Pompeii Project, which aims to requalify the archaeological site of Pompeii, an exhibition promoted by the Special Superintendence for the Archaeological Heritage of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae, in collaboration with the Superintedence for the Archaeological Heritage of Naples.
The exhibition sets out to analyze the influence of the site of Pompeii on artists, from when the first excavations began in 1748 until the dramatic air raids of 1943. A comparison between ancient artifacts and modern works (paintings, drawings, collections of prints, architectural plans, photographs, sculpture, examples of the decorative arts etc.) make quite obvious the influence of Classical art on developments in modern art and aesthetics, which hovered between emulation and re-interpretation. Because of its importance and prestige, the exhibition will be staged alongside the program of events being promoted and organized by Expo in Milan in 2015 and will be the subject of a comprehensive catalog and a dedicated application which will offer not only the specific content of the exhibition but also a first-ever virtual visit to the site. The book contains about 20 contributions from specialists from Italy and the international scene and is divided into two parts: the first focusing on Pompeii when it was part of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies (1748-1860), the second on Pompeii as part of Unified Italy (1860-1943).