A Day In Pompeii

I've been waiting for this day for several weeks, and I could barely sleep last night, I've been so excited! Today I made the trip to The Science Museum of Minnesota with just one thing on my mind: seeing the ancient fresco paintings of Pompeii...in person! I have been drawn to this ancient art for as long as I can remember. My personal library is filled with books on the subject, featuring full page spreads of these murals. But photos just don't compare to seeing something in real life, with your own eyes. However, to my surprise this trip ended up being more than I bargained for.

The Exhibit:

Karl Brulloff. The Last Day of Pompeii. 1830-1833

Pompeii's archaeological treasures rarely leave Italy, which makes this a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of us here in Minnesota. The exhibit is part of a national tour, and St. Paul is one of only four U.S. cities to host it. The exhibit featured marble and bronze sculptures, jewelry, gold coins that were used by the people in their everyday life, hundreds of ancient artifacts, room-sized frescoes, and several body casts of the volcano's victims.

The City:

(Photo: Capware)

(Photo: Capware)

(Photo: Capware)

The Roman city of Pompeii was frozen in time by the catastrophic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius on August 24, 79 A.D. Sadly, the city vanished under a blanket of volcanic materials and for the next 17 centuries the city remained lost and forgotten. But as if preserved in a time capsule, it was rediscovered in the early 1700s almost completely intact. With all the archaeological finds that have been made, it has given us a glimpse of what life was really like in the Roman Empire.

At the time of its destruction Pompeii was a middle-class, provincial Roman town and a prosperous commercial center. About 20,000 people lived in Pompeii, it's geographic location contributing to its thriving economy. The mild climate and fertile volcanic soils made for a productive agriculture industry. I was able to see charred remains of grains, lentils, shellfish, and even bread. Many of these foods were sold in what appears to have been "fast food" locales or restaurants of sorts. The town’s flourishing economy led to widespread affluence. The city was home to wealthy merchants and entrepreneurs, and as a result both public buildings and private residences were richly embellished and filled with sculpture, fountains and painted ornament. For most, life in Pompeii was comfortable and pleasant.

The People:

(Photos: Ethan Lebovics)

"A fearful black cloud was rent by forked and quivering bursts of flame . . ., darkness fell . . . as if a lamp had been put out in a dark room" Eyewitness account of Pliny the Younger.

As I walked through the doors of the exhibit, the first few rooms had many glass cases filled with various objects that were recovered from the ruins: pottery, coins, statues. But as I continued on, I was met with a dark room with several white figures lit by spotlights. As I walked over to the first one, I felt an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. The figure was in a sitting position, his hands covering his mouth in a futile attempt to keep from breathing in the smoke and ash that had filled the air. The plaque explained that this man was found in a gymnasium, possibly thinking this would be a safe place for him to hide. He was wrong. On several of the cast figures you could see such detail...toes, ears, the way their clothing lay over their bodies...frozen in their last moments. As I left the room there was another figure, a dog struggling to get free from its chain. The people had so little time they had to leave everything behind. So many feelings were welling up inside me. Who were these people? What were their likes and dislikes? What would I have done? This was all much more than I had expected, but I'm happy to have been able to see these things. It makes you realise life is precious, and we should enjoy every moment.

The Art:

Angel Fresco

Pompeiian Garden Fresco

Hippolytus and Phaedra Fresco

Pompeiian fresco of a young woman with an older woman behind her in a double frame of green leaves. (Photos: Ethan Lebovics)

Finally I was able to see what I had come for, the amazingly well preserved fresco paintings of the city of Pompeii. At the far end of the room there was a large fresco broken into three sections illuminated by several spot lights. This mural, called "Pompeiian Garden Fresco" once covered the back wall of the summer triclinium of the House of the Gold Bracelets in Pompeii. As I got closer, I was able to see every brush stroke in vivid color. These ancient paintings were barely worn by the more than 2,000 years that have passed since the time the artists originally painted them. I was in awe. Several other smaller frescoes adorned the walls of this room, including the "Hippolytus and Phaedra Fresco", in which the Athenian hero Theseus woos the Amazon queen Hippolyte.

My trip to the Pompeii exhibit had come to an end, and I now have a new understanding of the people, the city, and the art. I came away with a new sense of what life was like, and how it all abruptly ended.

More info:

Step by step account of the last days of Pompeii: The End of Pompeii and Herculaneum (August 24-25, A.D. 79)

What Did the Eruption Look Like?

(click on image for source)