THE LAST DAY OF POMPEII
Painted By: Karl Bryullov
Analyze by: Roxas, Juan Carlos B. (GED108-A15)
DESCRIPTION
This painting reminds the people of the tragic day of
Pompeii when Mt Vesuvius has already erupted. It marks
one of the most legendary natural disasters in human
history. Karl Bryullov painted this to show this historical
event dedicated to the victims of the Mt. Vesuvius
eruption. This painting was a turning point for the career
of Bryullov during his visit to Italy when he walked the
newly uncovered streets of Pompeii and portrays his
feeling and imagine things about what happened to the
people of Pompeii during the eruption.
ANALYSIS
His artwork used two different sources of light, which
represent the eruption of the volcano and the sky,
where it brings dramatic events. He added colors that
could bring an emotional impact on the viewers. It may
look something tragic to see, while others will say some
pieces are related to romance. In other words, there are
classical elements that are composed like forming a
shape of a triangle based on the painting itself. It gave
an emphasis to the tragic life of every people of Pompeii
that's meet their own fate.
INTERPRETATION
On the top right of the painting, you will see the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. During that
time, the structures of every building started to collapse. This symbol shows that the
earthquake occurred when a volcano erupted in that area.
On the left side, People desperately wanted to leave the City of Pompeii because they
were all afraid to die in the situation where a volcano had erupted. Raining ash was
seen in this painting, reminiscing the dark fate of Pompeii.
On the center bottom, you'll see a kid crying that his mother is dead either by fall or
possibly she got trampled by other people running desperately for their lives.
Lastly, two people don't leave their lover on the bottom right during the actual event.
In my interpretation, these events will make me sad and the pain that we get from the
fate of every victim in Pompeii. I imagine what could happen when a volcano erupted
near the city. Well, I figure it out now that every natural disaster is unpredictable, but
the only thing we can do is know how prepared we are when it comes to these events
that we've ever encountered in real life.
EVALUATION
My evaluation for this painting was well detailed about
the historical event of Pompeii. Bryullov managed to get
more details based on the archeological facts and
architectural designs related to Pompeii. The emotions of
every people in the painting gave true meaning to what
happened. Overall it gave a special reminder that not all
of us are safe amid natural disasters. The painting gave a
true story about the last day of the people who live in the
city of Pompeii