This volume will take you on a journey through the interiors of the houses of Pompeii thanks to the unprecedented photo reportage shot with a Hasselblad H6D 100 C camera (and lenses) by Luigi Spina. The Parco Archeologico di Pompei entrusted Spina with this project resulting in images the likes of which you have never before seen depicting one of the most astounding sites of classic antiquity. Guided by the eye of the photographer, readers will visit new areas of the Roman city, and in each of these they will be left speechless by the view unfolding with every page. They will discover never-before-seen corners of Pompeii, an amazing variety of mosaic floors, the geometric designs and colors of the opus sectile, the beauty of the recently discovered wall paintings, some of which have unfortunately been damaged, and the succession of figurative elements and pure decoration.
Figurative art plays a prominent part in this project, which is first of all photographic, and thus editorial. Yet architecture also plays an aesthetic and not merely structural role: the columns are shafts punctuating the visual landscape of these interiors, recesses and openings shape the shadows, while the walls direct the reader’s gaze, leading them into a realm of unprecedented sights and bright peristyles.
Another relevant aspect is the dialogue Luigi Spina has been able to establish between the interiors and the exteriors of these houses: nature isn’t merely the central theme of the pictorial decorations in the Pompeiian Third Style, but is also present in the shrubs, the trees, and the more or less cloudy skies, as well as in certain shots where the fearsome volcano itself appears. Finally, we can’t help but mention the fact that, for this project, the site was always captured under natural light, an aspect that will allow readers to experience Pompeii interiors at every time of day and perceive the passing of the seasons.
Luigi Spina is a photographer. His visual research began with a number of series on amphitheaters and the civic perception of the sacred, the connection between art and faith, the search for ancient cultural identities, and a physical approach to classical sculpture. With 5 Continents Editions he has published: The Buchner Boxes (2014), Hemba (2017), and Mythical Diary (2017). With the same publisher he has also inaugurated the series «Hidden Treasures» that includes: The Farnese Cup, The Alexander Mosaic, Saint Dominic by Niccolò Dell’Arca, and The Riace Bronzes.
