Archaeological National Museum - Exhibition "Lawrence Alma -Tadema and the nostalgia of the antique"

From 16/10/07 to 31/03/08

Exhibition "Lawrence Alma -Tadema and the nostalgia of the antique"

The exhibition is promoted by Regione Campania and the Regional Management for the Cultural and Landscape goods of Campania in collaboration with the Archaeologiacal Superintendency of Pompei.

The suggestive archaeological discoveries of Pompei and the rest of Vesuvian area, object of in-depht excavations during the XIX century, have exercised a very strong influence on the imagery of painters and writers during the century restoring a vivid and extraordinarily present image of the ancient world, with its social, political, and daily situation. The painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912), dutch born but of english adoption, represent the most well-known and famous interpreter of the neopompeian genre.

Thanks to the archaeological and literary deep knowledge of the classic antiquity, Alma-Tadema is, in a finely aesthetic tendency, able to bring a world now lost to life again, where the daily scenes assumes the shades of the myth. His painting (and those of his followers) is intended for a high middle-class rank who loves to identify itself, so ennobling its vices and virtues, with rites and customs of a now remote society, but extremely present in its daily and intimate dimension thanks to the excavations of Pompei and other centres.

The exhibition has the aim to reconstruct a complete iconographic picture of the reception of the classic antiquity during the XIX century: starting with Alma-Tadema leader, through the Italian school, without ignoring those works of Intenational school who can illustrate significant stages for the success of the genre. The topic is faced in its several interpretative facets, so giving space also to historic painting, inspired by the documentary and archaelogical evidences of the classic world, but also to the paintings and the surveys performed from life in the most important archaeological sites by artists, architects, professional draftsmen, without ignoring after all fundamental literary sources, such as the guides and the novels set in buried cities. The catalog of the exhibition is published by Electra publishing house.

Sections of the exhibition

The exhibition is subdivided in section, corresponding to the different themes. There are six sections: One dedicated to the example of Lawrence Alma-Tadema, with a choice of significant and appealing works who exemplify the genre in its maximum expression and ability to suggest. One dedicated to the antiquarian taste thanks to the mention of architectonic, sculptutal, of social situation and classic religious elements, derived from the example of Lawrence Alma-Tadema, interpreted by Italian and International artists in an aestethic key.

One dedicated to the depiction of interiors with familiar and genre scenes in which typical situations of the nineteenth-century middle-class society are represented in a classic context. A fourth section reserved to the depiction of key-episodes of the Greek and Roman history, evolution of a genre already carried out between the end of XVIII century and the beginning of XIX century, in which an aulic and magniloquent language prevail joined with the grandiosity of environmental portrayals finely described.

One dedicated to the representation of the excavations. It includes both painting from life (Palizzi, Gigante ecc.) and the activity of archaeological surveyors and draftsmen. Another section concentrate on iconographic and literary fortune of Pompei and of the excavations of the Vesuvian area, illustrated through various documents: books, printings (engravings and lithographies), postcards, ancient photos, archaeologiacal guides of that age, lyrical and theatrical works, cinematographic films. The sections 5 and 6 could be exposed in the context.

- The preparation present also a choice of archaeological find directly related with the paintings, as in them portrayed very frequently. The pieces should be exposed in strategic position next to the most important works that represent them.

The expositive way will be illustrated from various didactic apparatus, both printed, and multimedial.

Exhibition "Lawrence Alma -Tadema and the nostalgia of the antique"

General info

Museo Archeologico Nazionale