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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Pompeii in Color

Jan 26 – May 29, 2022
15 E 84th St, New York, NY 10028, United States

In 79 A.D., the dormant volcano Mount Vesuvius suddenly erupted, showering volcanic debris and blisteringly hot gases over the city of Pompeii. Life ended in an instant for at least a thousand people that day, all buried under ash and pumice. The buried city has since been dug up, providing invaluable archaeological information and teaching us much about Ancient Rome. In a recent discovery, a “House of Painters” was uncovered. Historians found found pigment, mixing bowls, tools, and containers of plaster, as well as traces of scaffolding and a half-finished fresco. This exhibition puts 35 frescos on view. They include magnificent portraiture, still lifes, and trompe l’oeil. Many have seldom been seen outside of Italy. —E.C.

Photo: Paolo Cordoni/EyeEm/Getty Images. Courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

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