"Last Days of Pompeii" at the Getty Villa Malibu

I went with members of the V.A. class to the Getty Villa to roam through their regular exhibits plus through the special "Last Days of Pompeii."  I enjoyed seeing some of my favorites plus the traveling exhibit.  "The Last Days..." focused on art that has been created in the last 170 years through painting and sculpture.  With the excavation advancing in the 19 century, more artists began writing about what life must have been like in Pompeii before the eruption and painters and sculptors have added their interpretation.  Some have over dramatized and contributed to the notion that it was an evil place back then and some have suggested that God punished them.  This argument has been advanced in recent years also such as some comments post Katrina about evil New Orleans.  I haven't heard this yet about Sandy's destruction in the East...but I am sure some will pick up on it....Atlantic City and all.

Kobke (Danish) "Forum at Pompeii" 1841

W. Baziotes "Pompeii" 1955