Houses and Monuments of Pompeii

In the 19th century, during the establishment of a scholarly approach to the archaeological excavations at Pompeii, brothers Fausto and Felice Niccolini were primed to make a significant contribution. Utilizing the then-new technique of color lithography, they meticulously recorded the architecture, frescoes, statues, and everyday items unearthed from the city, which had been engulfed in volcanic ash following Mount Vesuvius's eruption, preserving it for over 1,600 years. The Niccolinis aimed to depict every facet of life in ancient Pompeii. Their work, titled "Le case ed i monumenti di Pompei" ("The Houses and Monuments of Pompeii"), published in parts from 1854 to 1896 in Naples, compiled more than 400 color plates. These plates not only included views, maps, and layouts of the city and its public buildings but also offered a rare glimpse into the private homes of Pompeii. The plates showcased the exquisite painted wall art, complex artworks, and everyday utensils, vividly reconstructing each house into a tangible domestic environment. The collection also featured depictions of life in Pompeii’s workshops, taverns, shops, public spaces, temples, theaters, and baths. This careful reproduction celebrates the impressive work of the Niccolinis with selected color plates and two introductory essays that contextualize the project and introduce the key figures in the Vesuvian excavations. Additionally, the publication examines how Pompeian art—and the poignant plaster casts of the eruption's victims—inspired the visual arts, influencing artists like Robert Adam, Anton Raphael Mengs, Angelika Kaufmann, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Pablo Picasso, and Giorgio de Chirico, up to more contemporary figures such as Duane Hanson and George Segal.