Artwork
Pompejin viimeiset päivät, kopio
Pompejin viimeiset päivät, kopio is an unspecified painting by Karl Pavlovitš Brjullov. It is held in the collection of the Finnish National Gallery.
About this work
Overview
The work, titled "Pompejin viimeiset päivät, kopio," depicts a tumultuous crowd amid the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Figures are captured in extreme gestures—some reaching skyward, others collapsing or kneeling—conveying panic and desperation. A central woman in a bright yellow dress draws attention amid darker tones, while splashes of gold and red punctuate the composition.
Subject & Meaning
The scene represents the final moments of Pompeii’s inhabitants as the volcanic disaster unfolded. The varied postures suggest a spectrum of human reactions to catastrophe, from hope and supplication to surrender and collapse, highlighting the collective trauma of the event.
Technique & Style
The artist employs chiaroscuro, contrasting deep shadows with illuminated areas to heighten drama. Dark backgrounds recede while highlighted figures, especially the yellow-dressed woman, emerge sharply, creating a three‑dimensional effect and focusing the viewer’s eye on key narrative elements.
History & Provenance
Identified as a copy, the piece reproduces an earlier composition of the Pompeian disaster. Details about its original source, date of creation, or ownership are not provided in the available information.
Context
The painting aligns with a tradition of depicting ancient catastrophes, a theme popular in European art from the Baroque onward. Its emphasis on emotional intensity and theatrical lighting reflects broader artistic interests in dramatizing historical tragedies.
Artist & collection
Artist
This Russian-born artist spent years sketching Italian street life between commissions, always with a pocketful of charcoal stubs.
Death on the Pale Horse
Transfer of the Ark of the Covenant by David
The Vision of Ezekiel
The Defeat of Sisera
Aeneas and his family fleeing the burning city of Troy, with the Trojan horse in the background
Rape of the Sabine Women
Die Bekehrung des Paulus
Aeneas flees the burning Troy with his family
Massacre of the Innocents
Vestirea nașterii lui Christos
The Eucharist overcoming pagan sacrifices
Temptation of Saint Hilarion