“Many disasters have befallen the world, but few have brought posterity so much joy,” - Goethe
The excavations of Pompeii in the 18th and 19th centuries inspired and intrigued the artists, writers & poets of the day. When the site was first uncovered it was like an instant museum. Italy, which had been under plunged into political disputes for the last few centuries, suddenly had something of a draw card to the aristocracy of Europe. The upper classes (which at this time included men of leisure-writers artists and poets) visited Italy and Pompeii to inspire their works. Although their works do serve for very early documentation attempts, much of it has provided the misconceptions that future archaeologists have fought so hard to disprove. In modern times, Pompeii has been the subject of video games, blockbusters, documentaries and songs.
18th - 21st century
18th century neo-classicism
Chasseriau
Mazois
Hackert
19th century romanticism
Bryullov
Volaire
de Valenciennes
Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1834): 'The last days of Pompeii'
20th century
Robert Harris (2003): 'Pompeii - A Novel'
'The last days of Pompeii' Films 1900-1959
21st century
The Simpsons 'The Italian Mob' 2005
Doctor Who 'The Fires of Vulcan' episode, 2008
Xbox 360 'Darkest of Days' 2010
'Pompeii' film 2014
neo-classicism
The cultural practice of the The Grand Tour was the 17th- and 18th-century custom of a traditional trip of Europe undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank when they had come of age. Early representations from artists in the 18th century focused on the neoclassical aspects of the site - it's art and architecture. This art is generally unemotional and shows human activity without character or personality. An example of this kind of art is Piranesi. 9 books including pictures by Piranesi were produced from the Herculaneum Academy in 1804 titled ‘Antiquities In Pompeii’. Piranesi’s work was an imaginative interpretation of the past and inspired the Neo-Classical movement in Europe which saw the introduction of many Pompeian design motifs and decoration into public buildings and homes.
romanticism
Was an artistic and intellectual movement in the history of ideas that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. It stressed strong emotion - trepidation, awe, and horror as visual experiences. Romanticism is also noted for its elevation of the achievements of what it perceived as heroic individuals and artists.