This Apocalyptic Painting Is Painfully Beautiful

This piece is called The Last Day of Pompeii by Karl Bryullov. It was the artist's attempt to make a name for himself in the art world. A painting that took around 5 years to make. A painting that ended up being his greatest masterpiece. A painting that feels so real and emotional, it’s almost like the artist experienced that day himself.

Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, burying the city of Pompeii under a layer of ash. And after this, Pompeii was forgotten for centuries until it was rediscovered in the mid-1700s. When the artist visited the city, he was inspired to make a painting depicting that tragic day. This piece is so chilling to me because it shows the incredible force of nature next to the powerlessness of humans to do anything about it. Yet Bryulllov carefully tells a story with each person, reminding us that they weren’t just a statistic. This painting is a testament to how much the this event impacted the artist. Karl Bryuvoll became a celebrity overnight with this painting and (almost) everyone loved it. Thank you for watching!

#arthistory #art #classicart #fineart

Credits:
Fire and cracking effect from Vecteezy

[Art_Deco]

Hello everyone! I apologize in advance if my voice sounds a bit raspy in the video. I caught a cold in the middle of creating it. That’s also why it took me a bit longer to upload but thank you for being patient with me! What would you like to see me cover next???

[KirbyIsCute]

"The critics were brutal. Saying it was too dramatic..."

I mean, yeah. If you and a whole village with loved ones suddenly faced certain death with little hope of surviving in what would be a painful end - I'd say it would be VERY dramatic.

[huldrrrr]

I love that he included Pliny the Younger and his mother in the painting! It's so easy to see the romans as just brutal and callous, when they too were people who loved their families so much that they were willing to risk their own lives to save theirs. I'm so glad they both survived

[nealheder]

As a French guy, it always cracks me up to see how 90% of the amazing works of art you explain here are, at a moment or another, presented to the French who just go : “Meh”. This is so typical of our behaviour.

Regarding the white horse, I think it is commonly considered as a symbol of doom and death (maybe because it’s the horse of Death in Apocalipsis) so that could explain its presence in the painting.

[irenesaurus]

The painting looks even more terrifying in the museum. You can't take your eyes of it, it is mesmerising and frightening. Besides, it's enormous, and you wonder how Bryullov managed to create several characters and their fate, and the whole thing isn't falling apart, it's a complete story in one shot. What a truly amazing painting made by a master of brush

[Nonsequitoria]

6:46 I love the expression that Bryullov gave himself. While there is still energy in his face, he seems quite passive. In fact, he seems to be almost casually observing his surroundings, as if studying the scene from his place in a far-removed time, while the people around him panic. Reminds me of that one episode of Loki, where they go back in time to Pompeii and can walk around in modern clothes and break anything they want without causing any changes to the future because nothing - and no one - will survive to effect it.

[petravotroubkova]

The face of the woman looking directly at us might be the most chilling piece of art I have ever seen. Just wow.

[Nonsequitoria]

Also, Pliny the Younger's observation that the tragedy caused so many to question their faith in the gods, while a bull - the symbol of Zeus - wanders in the background, lost and left behind, and a well-dressed priest flees with his nice things, and a roughly dressed Christian elder seems to bravely stand beside the woman and her daughters to offer some form of human comfort in this moment. Each figure coming closer and closer into the foreground, as if to show the march of recent history. The quiet story told by these three figures alone is worth making this painting famous.

[lefish]

Seeing all the little babies in this painting made me cry. The loss of life and the sheer terror all the little babies felt that day just breaks my heart into a million pieces

[osmia]

I never really considered art as more than just a picture before coming across your channel. Your explanations have made me aware that there is much to look at

[hippolyte]

The nude man could have been someone coming from a bath house or similar and jumped on the horse in desperation to flee. Great video. I teared up as I was reminded of modern nature catastrophes, like the 2004 tsunami.

[michaelhoffmann]

OK, nerd objection: Neither Pliny the Younger, not his mother were in Pompeii. They lived at his uncle's estate, the famous naturalist Pliny the Elder. Which was across the bay in Misenum, about as far from Vesuvius as you could get while still being in the Bay of Naples. It's been decades since we had to translate that very letter by PtY, so I had to go back to it, to refresh my memory. He writes clearly (first letter to Tacitus) that when PtE readied a boat for investigation and rescue, he offered his nephew to come along, who declined as he wanted to get on with his writing (which he had been tasked with by his uncle). Bit of artistic liberty there: for no, in that spot, in that situation, nobody would have survived, neither the ash fall nor the pyroclastic flow (which the city also got hit with, though to a lesser extent than Herculaneum). PtY and his mum had to flee ash clouds and earthquakes, as he writes in his 2nd letter to Tacitus, but nothing like what hit these poor people who were in Ground Zero.

[z]

The editing of these videos keeps getting better! Fun and educational A+

[llamasugar]

Imagine being in the last moments of your life, and having nothing to hold but dead metal. For some reason, the priest in white is the most tragic figure to me.

Your thoughtful and lucid narration is delightful. If I were still in Gen. Ed., I would use your videos; you have a gift for making art accessible and relatable.

[djcrotty]

An incredible painting that tells such a tragic story

[fmor]

I felt chills with this one, such a dramatic and dynamic piece of art. Haunting and still impressive.

[sonorasgirl]

This is an amazing painting and your retelling reminded me of visiting Pompeii as a kid - it was impressive and horrifying. There was something really eerie about seeing recognizable restaurants, still bright murals and mosaics, and other weirdly modern looking things in the ruins and knowing what had happened to everyone who lived there, and that that disaster was what allowed me to see it.

[quinn]

I'm very curious about Pompeii. Watched hours of documentary about how it happen, what the people of Pompeii feels based on their preserved bodies by the ashes. But seeing a painting that is reference from the (material) survivor of the eruption of Mount Vecivous is truly chilling.

[cayenigma]

You have sprung a love for art in me, thank you for your videos!

[tessiepinkman]

A wonderful choice of art for this video! You have a certain way of always choosing art that evokes raw emotions from the viewer. That, combined with your great commenting and editing makes for a perfect mix. It's always a great day when you upload something new! Thank you for your dedication.