DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61617#0059
THE UNEARTHING OF THE CITY
29
one public building has been excavated — the baths at the
corner of Stabian and Nola streets; but many private houses
have been uncovered, some of which are of much interest.
Fiorelli remained in charge of the excavations until 1875, when
he was called to Rome to become General Director of Museums
and Excavations; he died in 1896, at the age of seventy-two.
His successors, first Michele Ruggiero, then Giulio de Petra,
have worked according to his plans, and in full sympathy with
his ideals.
Up to the present time about one half of Pompeii has been
excavated. In 1872 Fiorelli made the calculation that if the
excavations should continue at the rate then followed the whole
city would be laid bare in sixty years. Since that time the work
has progressed more slowly, partly in consequence of the
greater care taken for the preservation of the remains. At
the present rate of progress we may believe that the twentieth
century will hardly witness the completion of the excavations.
Articles of furniture and objects of art that can easily be
moved, as the statuettes often found in the gardens, are ordi-
narily taken to the Museum in Naples ; a few things have been
placed in the little Museum at Pompeii. Now and then small
sculptures have been left in a house exactly as they were found;
but the necessity of keeping such houses locked and of guard-
ing them with especial care prevents the general adoption of
this method of preservation.
In respect to the preservation of paintings the practice has
varied at different periods. Generally, however, the best
pictures have been cut from the walls and transferred to the
Museum, while the decorative framework has been left undis-
turbed. It is keenly to be regretted that in this way the effect
of the decorative system as a whole has been destroyed, for
the picture forms the centre of a carefully elaborated scheme
of decoration which needs to be viewed as an artistic whole
in order to be fully appreciated; and the removal of a
painting can hardly be accomplished without some damage to
the parts of the wall immediately in contact with it. A far
better method would be to leave intact all walls containing
paintings or decorative work of interest, providing such means
29
one public building has been excavated — the baths at the
corner of Stabian and Nola streets; but many private houses
have been uncovered, some of which are of much interest.
Fiorelli remained in charge of the excavations until 1875, when
he was called to Rome to become General Director of Museums
and Excavations; he died in 1896, at the age of seventy-two.
His successors, first Michele Ruggiero, then Giulio de Petra,
have worked according to his plans, and in full sympathy with
his ideals.
Up to the present time about one half of Pompeii has been
excavated. In 1872 Fiorelli made the calculation that if the
excavations should continue at the rate then followed the whole
city would be laid bare in sixty years. Since that time the work
has progressed more slowly, partly in consequence of the
greater care taken for the preservation of the remains. At
the present rate of progress we may believe that the twentieth
century will hardly witness the completion of the excavations.
Articles of furniture and objects of art that can easily be
moved, as the statuettes often found in the gardens, are ordi-
narily taken to the Museum in Naples ; a few things have been
placed in the little Museum at Pompeii. Now and then small
sculptures have been left in a house exactly as they were found;
but the necessity of keeping such houses locked and of guard-
ing them with especial care prevents the general adoption of
this method of preservation.
In respect to the preservation of paintings the practice has
varied at different periods. Generally, however, the best
pictures have been cut from the walls and transferred to the
Museum, while the decorative framework has been left undis-
turbed. It is keenly to be regretted that in this way the effect
of the decorative system as a whole has been destroyed, for
the picture forms the centre of a carefully elaborated scheme
of decoration which needs to be viewed as an artistic whole
in order to be fully appreciated; and the removal of a
painting can hardly be accomplished without some damage to
the parts of the wall immediately in contact with it. A far
better method would be to leave intact all walls containing
paintings or decorative work of interest, providing such means