Submitted by Mary Harrsch on Mon, 08/31/2009 - 17:23
Each time I visit Pompeii I discover something new that I had not seen before. Likewise, with exhibits about Pompeii and the ancient Roman communities surrounding Mount Vesuvius, I learn something about Roman culture that I had not encountered before. Last week when I attended the exhibit, "Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture Around The Bay of Naples" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, I was fascinated by information about and examples of archaeized Roman art of the 1st century BCE - 1st century CE.
%QUOTEArchaism is the term applied to art produced after 480 BCE that incorporates stylistic elements used in Greek art of the archaic period (700-480 BCE). These elements include facial features, such as hair with spiral or corkscrew or tight curls across the forehead, high cheekbones, heavy lidded eyes or a slight smile.
Curated by National Gallery, Washington, D.C, 'Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture Around The Bay of Naples' features sculpture and other artworks excavated from the villas of San Marco at Stabiae, and dei Papiri at Herculaneum, as well as from the houses of the elite of Pompeii. A collection of objects discovered in the Bay of Naples make their US debut as part of the exhibition, alongside the previously-exhibited artworks.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is one of the US's largest museums, made up of a whole campus of buildings, spread out across 20 acres of ground. It is home to over 100,000 exhibits, including many artefacts from the ancient world, with a particular emphasis on Asian and Latin American art.
In 2004, the museum launched 'The Transformation' - an ambitious project to massively expand and consolidate the museum, designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Phase I, which is currently underway, included the addition of 60,000 square feet of extra gallery space, and the installation of Smoke, a massive aluminium sculpture by Tony Smith.
Phase II will see even more gallery space added, along with dedicated venues for events and workshops, and a new media lab for children.
Each time I visit 
