Release Date: October 13, 2007

Pompeii and the Roman Villa Exhibition Inspires Public Programs and Cuisine at National Gallery of Art, Washington
October 19, 2008 through March 22, 2009

A range of public programs and Neapolitan cuisine are offered by the National Gallery of Art to provide a well-rounded cultural context for visitors to Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples, on view October 19, 2008, through March 22, 2009. Exquisite objects from the richly decorated villas along the shores of the Bay of Naples and from houses in the nearby towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum reveal the breadth and richness of cultural and artistic life, as well as the influence of classical Greece on Roman art and culture in this region, in the first exhibition devoted to ancient Roman art at the National Gallery of Art. All programs are free. For more information, call (202) 737-4215, visit the Web site at www.nga.gov, or inquire at the Information Desks.

Sunday Lectures
East Building Auditorium, 2:00 p.m.

October 19
Finding Ancient Rome on the Bay of Naples: An Introduction to Pompeii and the Roman Villa
Carol Mattusch, guest curator, and Mathy Professor of Art History, George Mason University

November 9
The Sydney J. Freedberg Lecture in Italian Art: To Live with Myths in Pompeii and Beyond
Paul Zanker, professor of art history, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa

March 1
Is Anything New under the Sun? Environmental Quality around the Bay of Naples in AD 79 and the Present Day
Mark Walters, environmental consultant and writer

March 8
The Society of Dilettanti: Grecian Taste and Roman Spirit
Bruce Redford, professor of art history and English, Boston University
Book signing of Dilettanti: The Antic and the Antique in Eighteenth-Century England to follow

Public Symposium
Roman Art and Culture on the Bay of Naples
March 20, 11:00–5:00 p.m.; March 21, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
East Building Auditorium
Illustrated lectures by noted scholars, including John Bodel, Lucilla Burn, Faya Causey, John R. Clarke, Bjoern Ewald, Nathalie Kampen, Barbara Kellum, Miranda Marvin, Rebecca Molholt, John Pollini, and Hérica Valladares

Gallery Talks
Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples (60 mins.). Meet at the East Building Information Desk.
October 24, 28, and 30; November 5, 7, 9, 18, 20, 21, 22, 25 and 26; December 10 at 1:00 p.m.
November 14, 17, and 24; December 8 at 12:00 noon

Concert
Wednesday, October 15
East Building Auditorium, 12:10 p.m.
Pianist Michele Campanella plays music by Domenico Scarlatti

Film Program
East Building Auditorium

The Last Days of Pompeii
October 25 at 2:00 p.m.
Martin Winkler, classical scholar and author of Classical Myth and Culture in the Cinema, introduces two early and imaginative cinematic versions of the epic The Last Days of Pompeii based on Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s 1830s novel.

“Roman Ruins Rebuilt” series
Antony and Cleopatra, with original 1914 score in live performance, November 15, 3:00 p.m.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, introduction by Winkler, November 23,
4:30 p.m.
These programs explore the use of Roman architecture in the cinema.

Exhibition Documentary: Pompeii and the Roman Villa
Narrated by Sir Derek Jacobi, this 30-minute documentary film, made for the exhibition, examines the explosion of artistic activity on the Bay of Naples that began in the first century BC. The film was made possible by the HRH Foundation.

East Building Small Auditorium
Monday to Friday, noon–3:00 p.m., with minor exceptions
Saturdays, noon–5:00 p.m., with minor exceptions
Sundays, noon–6:00 p.m., with minor exceptions
East Building Auditorium
Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday, 11:30 a.m., with minor exceptions

Exhibition Brochure
The brochure provides an illustrated overview of the major themes of the exhibition, with sections devoted to villas, houses, and gardens; the legacy of Greece; and destruction and discovery. It also contains a listing of related lectures, concerts, films, and other educational programs. The brochure was made possible by the HRH Foundation. It is available at the exhibition entrance and online at www.nga.gov/exhibitions/pompeiiinfo.shtm.

Discovery Guide
Designed for families and school groups, ages 7–12, the guide helps visitors locate key works of art in the exhibition and introduces some of its important themes, such as Roman villas and their owners; objects from their homes and gardens; the Romans’ interest in Greek art, history, and mythology; and the influence of ancient Rome on European art and culture after the discovery of Pompeii in the 18th century. Copies of the Discovery Guide are available free at the exhibition entrance or online at www.nga.gov/exhibitions/pompeiiinfo.shtm.

Middle and High School Studio Workshops
Studio Workshops include an in-depth examination and discussion of works of art in the galleries, followed by a related, one-hour studio project. Offered from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the following dates:

Middle School—
November 6, 7, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21;
December 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

High School—
January 21, 22, 23;
February 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27;
March 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 17, 18, 19, 20

To register, e-mail the date and your name, the name and address of your school, and the school telephone number to highschoolstudioworkshops@nga.gov.

Teacher Workshops
February 11, 4:00 p.m.
Workshops include a tour of the exhibition, a discussion of teaching applications, and light refreshments. Registration required. For details, visit http://www.nga.gov/education/teacher.htm
or call 202.842.6276.

Audio Tour
Narrated by Gallery director Earl A. Powell III, this tour includes commentary by guest curator Carol Mattusch, Mathy Professor of Art History, George Mason University; Mary Beard, Newnham College, University of Cambridge; and Kenneth Lapatin, The J. Paul Getty Musuem.
Rental fee: $5

Garden Café: Italia
West Building, Ground Floor
Monday–Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Sunday, 12:00–4:00 p.m.
Concert menu available Sunday, 4:00–6:00 p.m.

Neapolitan cuisine, including signature dishes from Italian Chefs Arturo Iengo of Ristorante Pascalucci in Benvenuto, Italy, and Fabio Salvatore of Café Milano in Washington, DC.

Exhibition Catalogue

The fully illustrated catalogue for Pompeii and the Roman Villa is written by guest curator Carol Mattusch, Mathy Professor of Art History at George Mason University, with essays by Mary Beard, professor of classics, University of Cambridge; Bettina Bergmann, Helene Philips Herzig '49 Professor of Art, Mount Holyoke College; Stefano De Caro, Direttore Generale per i Beni Archeologici, Ministero per i Beni e le Attivitá Culturali, Roma; Professor Pietro Giovanni Guzzo, Il Soprintendente, Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei; and Kenneth Lapatin, associate curator of antiquities, The J. Paul Getty Museum. Published by the Gallery in association with Thames and Hudson, the 384-page catalogue includes 312 color and 53 black-and-white illustrations. It will be available from the Gallery Shops for $60.00 (hardcover) and $40.00 (softcover). To order, call (800) 697-9350 or (202) 842-6002; fax (202) 789-3047; or e-mail mailorder@nga.gov.

Lead funding for the catalogue is provided by the Leon Levy Foundation. An additional grant toward the catalogue has been provided courtesy of Rita Venturelli, director, Italian Cultural Institute, Washington, and Francesca Valente, director, Italian Cultural Institute, Los Angeles.

General Information

The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are at all times free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. For information call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176, or visit the Gallery's Web site at www.nga.gov. The Gallery is now on Facebook—become a fan at www.facebook.com/NationalGalleryofArt.

Visitors will be asked to present all carried items for inspection upon entering the East and West Buildings. Checkrooms are free of charge and located at each entrance. Luggage and other oversized bags must be presented at the 4th Street entrances to the East or West Building to permit x-ray screening and must be deposited in the checkrooms at those entrances. For the safety of visitors and the works of art, nothing may be carried into the Gallery on a visitor's back. Any bag or other items that cannot be carried reasonably and safely in some other manner must be left in the checkrooms. Items larger than 17 x 26 inches cannot be accepted by the Gallery or its checkrooms.

For additional press information please call or send inquiries to:

Press Office
National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785
phone: (202) 842-6353 e-mail: pressinfo@nga.gov

Deborah Ziska
Chief of Press and Public Information
(202) 842-6353
ds-ziska@nga.gov

If you are a member of the press and would like to be added to our press list, click here.

Pompeii and the Roman Villa Exhibition Inspires Public Programs and Cuisine at National Gallery of Art, Washington October 19, 2008 through March 22, 2009

Pompeii and the Roman Villa Exhibition Inspires Public Programs and Cuisine at National Gallery of Art, Washington
October 19, 2008 through March 22, 2009