Description
The Last Day of Pompeii is a large-scale artwork, four and a half by six and a half meters, painted between 1830 and 1833. The painting depicts the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.
In the play, the people of Pompeii look desperate and panicked. Some hug for fear of the eruption. Their bodies are classically modeled, making the painting a mixture of neoclassicism and romanticism. A light shines on some people, while others are in the shadows. The fiery volcano erupts in the background, giving the painting a hellish effect.
Karl Bryullov's interest in this historical fact did not arise by himself, but thanks to the stories of the artist's brother, architect Alexander Bryullov. Paintings on similar subjects were in fashion at the time, which helped increase the artist's interest. The painter, who had been in Italy for quite some time, began to feel a somewhat dismissive attitude towards himself and his work from the local art people. Some of them believed that Karl could not paint anything more significant than the small genre paintings, which had made him famous. In conceiving "The Last Day of Pompeii", Bryullov wanted not only to create a canvas of colossal size, but also to dispel the prejudices of Italian critics.
It took Bryullov only 11 months to complete The Last Day of Pompeii. At the same time, it took six years to develop the final version of the picture. The 1828 sketch lacks some of the details that can be seen on the canvas found in the Russian museum.
After traveling through Europe, Pompeii's Last Day arrived in Russia, where he and Bryullov's talents were received with respect and admiration. It was displayed at the Emperor Fine Art Academy as an example to all aspiring artists.