At the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama, USA, starting on October 18 2007, history and art lovers will have the chance of rediscovering the fascinanting and tragic story of Pompeii, destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, in 79AD. It is the first exhibition of this kind ever presented in the US and is will surely attract the interest of the public.
The destruction of Pompeii is one of the most known tragedies of the Ancient world, growing to the size of a myth, although it was a very real historical event. Since the 18th century scientists and archaelogists have tried to unveil the tales of Pompeii, and over the years more that 500 different objects, some of them of great artistic value, have been carefully restored and exhibited, mostly in Italian museums. It is the first time that many of these are exhibited outside of Italy, offering the curators of the show a chance to reconstruct the life of the magnificent city and it's final moments.
Several types of exhibits will be presented, such as body casts and skeletons - most of them crouching as the ashes and lava were covering them without mercy - as well as ancient coins, jewellery, tools, that the citizens held onto in their last seconds of life. Also, the exhibition has several life-size statues, made out of marble, vivid frescoes, mosaics, bronzes, the subjects being inspired by Greek and Roman mythology and politics, the works of art being found in the villas of the wealthy.
The exhibition at the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama will be one of the most important cultural events of the autumn in the US, as it is a unique chance of voyaging in a past marked by a great tragedy, which put an end to the development of a rich and great city.
2007-07-04
