This volume examines the influence that Pompeii and, to a lesser extent, Herculaneum had on the visual and performing arts in Spain and countries across South America. Covering topics from architecture, painting and decorative arts to theatre, dance and photography, the reader will gain insight into the reception of classical antiquity through the analysis of the close cultural ties between both sides of the Atlantic, in the past and the present. Each contribution has been written by a specialist researcher participating in the project, ‘The Reception and Influence of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Spain and Ibero-America’, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PGC2018-093509-B-I00 Ministry of Science and Innovation/AEI/ERDF/EU).
Pompeii in the Visual and Performing Arts begins by examining the influence of Pompeiian architecture in Spain in paintings that depict scenes inspired by Roman scenes and also buildings modelled on those of Pompeii. Next, the influence of Pompeii crosses the Atlantic to Mexico with a study of the archaeological site’s influence on the visual and performing arts. An exploration of the elitist use of the ancient past in architecture is seen in Chilean architecture, which leads onto an investigation of the new art styles that emerged in the 19th century. Later chapters look into the influence of the ancient frescoes and the use of modern plaster casts of statues. The final chapters are devoted to comics and photography, which also make a study of the places in Latin America nicknamed ‘Pompeii’ in the 20th and 21st centuries.
List of Illustrations List of Contributors Introduction: The Reception of Pompeii in Spain and Latin America, Mirella Romero Recio 1. The ‘Pompeian House’ in Spain: A Source of Inspiration between Reality and Utopia, Mirella Romero Recio 2. Echoes of Pompeii in Mexico: Academy, Society and Art, Aurelia Vargas Valencia and Elvia Carreño Velázquez 3. Art and Rhetoric for an Empire: The Pompeiian Style in Puerto Rico and the United States during the Nineteenth Century, Daniel Expósito 4. Pompeian Influences on the Elite of Santiago de Chile: Visual Arts, Antiquities and Architecture (Nineteenth Century), Carolina Valenzuela Matus 5. Joaquín Sorolla and Pompeii: The Impact of a Trip on his Life and his Oeuvre, Ana Valtierra 6. The Reflection of the Ancient World in Pictorial Scenes: The Quest for the Pompeian Atmosphere in Spanish Costumbrist Paintings, María Martín de Vidales García 7. The Archaeological Discoveries of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and their Reception through Plaster Copies and Photography, Jesús Salas Álvarez 8. Pompeii and Herculaneum in Cuba: The Impact of the Archaeological Finds on the Island’s Visual Arts, Federica Pezzoli 9. Excavating the Past and Framing New Identities in the 19th Century: Vesuvius, Pompeii and Modernity in Rio de Janeiro, Renata Senna Garraffoni 10. Pompeian Echoes in Rural Houses in Central Chile: The Quest for New Identities, María Gabriela Huidobro Salazar 11. The Last Days of Pompeii: From Literature to Comics in Latin America, Laura Buitrago 12. The Latin American Pompeiis: From a Landscape in Ruins to the Image of Tragedy, Ricardo Del Molino García 13. Epilogue, Shelley Hales Notes Bibliography Index
Mirella Romero Recio is Professor of Ancient History at the University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain. She is the principal researcher in the project, ‘The Reception and Influence of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Spain and Ibero-America’, which is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. She has published two books in Spanish: Ecos de un Descubrimiento: Viajeros Españoles en Pompeya 1748-1936 (2012) and Pompeya: Vida, muerte y Resurrección de la Ciudad Sepultada por el Vesubio (2010).
Reviews for Pompeii in the Visual and Performing Arts: Its Reception in Spain and Latin America
This is an engaging and valuable volume, comprising chapters on recurring themes of architectural influence, cultural politics, and elite materiality. Authored by Ibero-American scholars, it introduces readers to various national particularities. I highly recommend this volume to anyone interested in the impact of classical traditions on modern architecture and visual arts, as well as to scholars and University students working on national identities and Latin America’s efforts to distance itself from its colonial past. * CADMO: Journal for Ancient History *
