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.