Pompeii In Detail

Pompeii In Detail

 

I like visiting old ruins, particularly the ones where nature has been allowed to creep back in, softening the edges. The park-like settings are soothing and a source of inspiration as I let my mind wander and fill in the blanks. Similar to the way I do with the more recently abandoned.

I am not much of a history buff, I do not seek out these sites because I read something in a book. I go in reverence of grandeur. Despite being cracked, scarred, and broken, collapsed in heaps on the ground, these skeletons of ancient architecture maintain an elegance that I admire. But, Pompeii is not so grand, not compared to Ephesus in Turkey or the Acropolis of Athens in Greece.

 

What Pompeii has is detail.

 

Thanks to a 4 to 6 metre (13 to 20 feet) protective layer of volcanic ash and pumice, which kept air and moisture at bay until excavations began in the mid 18th century, this ancient, once wealthy merchant town is filled with little gems: fine sculpture, remnants of bright paint, patterned tile work, all elements pointing to how the inhabitants enjoyed surrounding themselves with art.

 
 

View of Mount Vesuvius, responsible for the destruction of Pompeii in 79 AD, seen from Naples.

 
 

 
 

I wandered from intact tiled floor, to painted wall, to complete statue the likes of which I have yet to see in another ancient space.Patterns I was already familiar with caught my eye, themes I had noticed elsewhere in Italy, even in modern cities back in Canada.

It became clear very quickly that I had not given myself enough time to explore. There were only 3 hours until the gates closed, and this place is huge! My wandering devolved into a hurried march when I realized there was less than an hour left and I had barely seen half the site. I snapped pictures all the while wishing I could just find a quiet corner and 6 more hours to sit and sketch. 

 
 

 
 

I have started a new sketchbook. My intention is to practice drawing with thicker tipped pens. Something that is happening naturally in this new book is pattern creation – a way to fill up a lot of space with detail. I want to get to a point where I can let a pattern flow as naturally from me as an intricate drawing of a tree. At the moment there are quite a few starts and stops, long pauses of wondering how to next move my hand in order to fill up paper with lines. Creating patterns has never really been my thing.

Looking back on these images from Pompeii I see how filling space with repetition has been a genuine method of artistic expression for a long while. I can also see how artists have pulled inspiration for these patterns from nature: waves; leaves; trees; flowers … Pretty much my fall back when I am staring at a piece of paper and not sure what to do with it that particular day.

So, I walk away from my too short visit to Pompeii grateful for an unexpected gift – a way to unblock my learning process in pattern creation by using something that already comes naturally to me.

 
 

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2 Comments

  1. Rebecca Thering

    When were you there, Genevieve? I just visited Pompeii today! I spent five hours walking around, and there were still whole sections I didn’t get to–so I know what you mean. Since I didn’t sketch on-site, I think I’ll do some sketching now from photos. 🙂

    Reply
    • Genevieve

      Hello Rebecca! I was there late February last year, almost a full year ago. I could easily spend another full day among the ruins, who knows? Perhaps I’ll find my way back. Hopefully you’ll give us a peak at what caught your eye, I look forward to seeing details I probably missed. Happy sketching!

      Reply

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