The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum | John Martin | c. 1821 Quinten Matsys is a striking example of

is a striking example of the artist’s Expressionist style

and the intriguing narrative moment invite viewers into a private world

Their luminous presence contrasts with the barren landscape

appears to be either seated or standing

The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum | John Martin | c. 1821 Quinten Matsys is a striking example ofAbout the artwork: In The Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum (c. 18211822) by John Martin, the artist stages a cataclysmic spectacle in which natures fury overwhelms human civilization. The glowing cone of Mount Vesuvius towers in the distance, vomiting ash and lava under a sky convulsed with volcanic lightning, flooding the sky in fiery reds and ominous ash clouds a dramatic backdrop against which the crumbling cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum