Life and Death in the Shadow of Vesuvius
Model of Pompeii, Naples National Archaeological Museum
On March 17th Italy celebrated 150 years of unification. Instead of throwing tomatoes at a statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, I decided to use them for sauce and spend the day celebrating my own Southern Italian heritage instead. This brought me to Pompeii the Exhibit: Life and Death in the Shadow of Vesuvius at Discovery Times Square. Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed so I will use pictures taken during my trips to Pompeii and Naples National Archaeological Museum to help illustrate this review.
The tour begins with a quick introductory film about Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii in 79 AD. It's one of four entertaining videos on view, including an interactive virtual eruption complete with vibrating floor and smoke machines. A larger than life marble statue of a dour Roman matron dressed in a traditional stola greets guests emerging from the mini-theater. Used as a tomb decoration, the funereal statue is a fitting way to begin an exhibit about the "tomb of a civilization."
Bacchus and Vesuvius,
Naples National Archaeological Museum
Next is a makeshift grotto and nymphaeum, a Roman fountain dedicated to a local water nymph, or Naiad. It is followed by a herm of the Roman patrician Marcus Fabius Rufus and four plaster friezes of Greco-Roman gods. According to i-Italy's interview with exhibit consultant Judith Harris one academic has criticized the inclusion of these replicas. There is concern that they may suggest to visitors that the other objects on display are also not authentic, which is not the case. In my estimation this should not be a problem because each object is clearly labeled. However, that being said, I must admit during my first visit to Pompeii I didn't realize the statue of The Dancing Faun at the Casa del Fauno was a copy until I saw the original later in the Naples National Archaeological Museum. So the academic does have a legitimate concern.
The exhibit boasts an impressive collection of over 250 items from all walks of Roman life. Pots, coins, surgical tools, scales, fishhooks, amphorae, anchors, lamps, furniture, jewelry, etc. are all on display — there is even a loaf of carbonized bread and examples of Roman graffiti on slabs of stone. My personal favorites were a pair of bronze Lares familiares statuettes and a highly ornate gladiator's helmet. Except for its discoloration and missing plumage the fierce looking Samnite-style helmet appeared to be in near-perfect condition and ready to be donned in the arena.
Drunken Silenus, Naples National Archaeological Museum
Displayed prominently among the surviving portions of decorative wall paintings is an exquisite bronze statue of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. Equated with the Greek Dionysus, the much-venerated deity and his drinking companion Silenus are well represented in the principal gallery. One panel depicting Bacchus, his consort Ariadne, and Silenus reminded me of the painting of Io at Canopos from the Sanctuary of Isis (Naples National Archaeological Museum). The similarity in the expressive features is striking. Painted in what is termed the Fourth, or "Fantastic," Style of later Pompeian painting, I believe the same artist could have executed the works.
Reminiscent of Pompeii's famous lupanaria, the exhibit has a small replica room of a brothel, complete with lectus cubicularis (chamber bed) and miniature fresco of a prostitute pleasuring two pigmies. Separated from the rest of the exhibit, the sexually explicit nature of the room hints at the "scandalous" Secret Cabinet. The only thing missing was the phallic street markers pointing the way.
Phallus relief,
Pompeii
The highlight of the show is undoubtedly the collection of skeletal remains and plaster body casts of the victims. Buried beneath the hardened ash and rubble the decomposing corpses left cavities where they fell. During excavation the Neapolitan archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli (1823-1896) poured plaster into the pockets, forming the macabre figures. Most disturbing (to me) were the casts of a writhing guard dog and the horrific expression preserved in the visage of a young child. The gruesome collection is the largest ever and a poignant reminder of the price paid for posterity's fortune.
A victim from the Garden of the Fugitives, Pompeii
I've been lucky enough to visit Pompeii twice so far, and visiting this exhibit brought back so many fond memories. The $25 admission fee is well worth the price considering you can only see most of these artifacts by visiting Pompeii, Herculaneum or the Naples National Archaeological Museum. Pompeii the Exhibit: Life and Death in the Shadow of Vesuvius runs through September 2011 and I highly recommend it.
Discovery Times Square is located at 226 West 44th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue.
