The National Museum of Australia’s Pompeii exhibition is a must-see summer blockbuster
This enthralling exhibition at the National Museum, called simply Pompeii, throws light on the people whose lives were cut short in one brief, terrifying moment.
Felt the call of Ancient Egypt all around you this year? You wouldn’t have been the only one. While Australians have long been drawn to the old world of pyramids and mummification, 2024 saw three blockbuster exhibitions across the east coast dedicated to the ancient culture: Discovering Ancient Egypt at Canberra’s National Museum of Australia (Perth had played host only months earlier and it is currently showing at the Queensland Museum); the Australian Museum’s Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs landed in Sydney; and Pharaoh at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
Before Pharaohmania’s renaissance, it was the relics of ancient Greek civilisation – of gods, warriors, the first Olympians – that had piqued the interest of classical enthusiasts down under. More recently, the ancient culture of the Aztecs has had its moment in the sun with the Australian Museum’s Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru exhibit.
This fascination with cultures of eras bygone continues to grip Australians. And there are no signs of interest in ancient civilisations waning.
Following the National Museum’s foray into the world of Ancient Egypt this year, which drew more than 200,000 visitors to become its most popular exhibition, it now sets its sights on a summer blockbuster exhibition dedicated to the “lost city” of Pompeii.
The preserved ancient Roman city, located near modern-day Naples, was forgotten for centuries after it was destroyed during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. While the allure of Pompeii has often been framed through death and destruction, this new exhibition sheds light on the lives and legacies of ordinary people of the ancient city.
The NMA’s exhibition curator Lily Withycombe, who studied archaeology first at the University of Sydney and then at Royal Holloway, University of London, has just returned to her desk after overseeing the installation of some 90 artefacts, mostly from the first century CE, ahead of the opening of Pompeii. The exhibition is presented in collaboration with Grand Palais in Paris, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and Gedeon Experiences.
Among ornate frescoes, jewellery, terracotta wares, and plaques featuring the myths of Ariadne and Bacchus, a favourite of hers – and one she hopes will resonate similarly with visitors – is the nymphaeum, an architectural water feature made out of glass tiles and shells from the House of the Golden Bracelet.
“When I saw it lit up, I gasped. It’s just so exquisite. Absolutely, it’s one of the objects I really hope people will see. To be honest, it’s so big they won’t be able to miss it,” laughs Withycombe.
While, indeed, the eruption of Vesuvius itself immortalised Pompeii as the “city of the dead”, Withycombe hopes the beauty and intricacy of a number of the objects will draw visitors’ attention to the rich contributions of ordinary people to progressing Roman culture. This exhibition highlights how archaeological practice is much more about piecing together the rich tapestry of life as the Romans knew it, rather than merely focusing on the city’s downfall.
“These pieces are aesthetically beautiful but also speak to Roman ingenuity. It reminds us that, for example, Romans invented concrete and were able to create arches and domes,” says Withycombe.
The Pompeii paradox, whereby the volcano which destroys the city is the same one that preserves it forever, sheds light on a universal truth that the celebration of life is always delicately balanced with the legacy left behind by the dead. It is a sensitive topic the National Museum has taken seriously in its approach to presenting the exhibition.
“It’s equally important to both acknowledge this huge environmental disaster which took place while focusing on the rich lives,” says Withycombe. “The fact it’s so compelling while confronting ties into the paradox that where there’s life there will also be death. It ties into these ubiquitous notions that we can all connect with.”
Withycombe’s stake in the exhibition is not merely professional but also personal, having worked in archaeological excavation for two field seasons in Pompeii herself as a PhD student under the supervision of esteemed professor Dr Steven Ellis. “It was one of the most defining experiences of my life,” says Withycombe. “So many people come from around the world – archaeologists, vulcanologists, archaeobotanists – to Pompeii to work and study.
“When you’re working on these excavation projects, what you’re really trying to do is do justice to the area you’re working on. You’re trying to bring this real picture of what you’re uncovering to the fore. It’s about trying to recreate the social history of the people who lived normal lives rather than only focusing on the elites.”
A first of its kind, Pompeii will exclusively show at the National Museum for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere since its debut at the Grand Palais. Not only will it be the first exhibition dedicated to the ancient city to ever visit the nation’s capital, but the array of objects will also differ from the original French display, having been handpicked by Withycombe and her team.
What really makes a mark on visitors is the immersive large-scale digital projections and moving soundscapes depicting life for the people of Pompeii right before the disaster, including the very moment Vesuvius erupts. Every 15 minutes, the projection spaces then fill with lapilli and volcanic debris before the exhibition goes dark.
“Most of the time you’re in the exhibition you’re going to be experiencing Vesuvius in the distance, looming over you in exactly the same way it does when you’re in Pompeii itself or the Bay of Naples. It has an incredible presence,” says Withycombe.
Without appearing gimmicky, the multimedia programming adds an intriguing element of surprise for visitors who may not otherwise come purely for the artefacts alone.
Withycombe notes: “We wanted to make sure the objects and the multimedia are of equal value in the exhibition. Obviously, what happened in 79 CE was a cataclysmic event, and it was a disaster on a scale not experienced since in the gulf of Naples. We want to make sure the exhibition is very respectful to that.”
There are also no human remains in this exhibition, only resin copies of casts made by the archaeological park of Pompeii.
“It was fascinating to work on the (Discovering Ancient Egypt) exhibition and then curate this one and still be thinking about the ethics of displaying death,” says Withycombe. “It gives people a space to reflect on death in a way we simply don’t have in our everyday life today.”
Between the projections, the human casts, and the artefacts, many of which have never been seen in Australia before, the exhibition is the closest visitors can get to being on the ancient site of Pompeii without making the trip over to Italy.
Katherine McMahon, who is finishing her first year as director of the National Museum successfully, says that this immersive style of exhibition satisfies the very real appetite to connect with the ancient world among today’s audiences.
“Exhibitions like Pompeii, which combine incredible archaeological artefacts with novel and innovative immersive elements, provide visitors with memorable and inspiring experiences,” says McMahon. “These are exactly the kind of experiences which keep people coming back to museums.”
She continues: “Pompeii’s evocative soundscapes and powerful projections not only show the city right before the fateful moment it was consumed by Vesuvius’s ash, but also as a place of discovery that continues to connect our world with the ancient world.”
Withycombe, reflecting on the power of even one museum visit ultimately steering the course of her professional life, is sincere in the profound effect she hopes Pompeii will have on visitors, including the 1.6 million Australians who have Italian ancestry.
When asked whether Pompeii might surge to the same heights interest in Ancient Egypt did, she says she “absolutely believes it will”.
“I say that as someone who remembers, in 1995, holding my mother’s hand as went to the Pompeii exhibition at the Australian Museum. It really shaped the course of my life, and I often think about the young people who will come to this exhibition and feel the same way.”
Pompeii will be the first Australian exhibition to focus on the legend of the lost city since 2017.
“This will really inspire so many Australians. Whether it ends up leading you to Pompeii or being able to understand and value history, it conjures feelings of compassion and empathy for people from the past who are still connected to you. That is just so powerful,” says Withycombe.
“There is nothing else like it in the world.”
Pompeii is now exhibiting at the National Museum of Australia until May 4.
