The Legacy of Vesuvius

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This sumptuous book reveals how discoveries of classical sculptures and frescoes in Pompeii and Herculaneum inspired artistic masterpieces created for the Spanish Bourbon Court in Naples during the eighteenth century.

Ancient sculptures, frescoes and other archaeological finds discovered at the foot of Mount Vesuvius helped shape the artistic expression in Europe, particularly landscape paintings, sculpture, ceramics, furniture and portraits. These include images of the Bourbon royal family, and also detailed landscapes and cityscapes giving a glimpse into Naples at the time. Sculptures and frescoes from the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum, the villas at Stabiae and Cicero and the Temple of Isis at Pompeii are examined alongside the art by well-known eighteenth-century artists they influenced, including Angelica Kauffman, Anton Rafael Mengs and Antonio Joli.