Badhuis in de opgedolven stad Pompeii buiten Napels 1800

Lambertus Antonius Claessens made this print of a bathhouse in the excavated city of Pompeii, near Naples. It depicts a group of early tourists viewing a skeleton in the ruins. The rediscovery of Pompeii in the mid-18th century ignited a wave of Neoclassical fascination with the ancient world. This print visualizes the popular Grand Tour, where upper-class Europeans visited historical sites like Pompeii to immerse themselves in classical culture. Notice the clothing of the viewers, identifying them as contemporary Europeans observing the distant past. The dog hints at the domesticity of the scene. The skeleton in the bath suggests a meditation on mortality, a visual reminder of the passage of time and the transience of human existence. The scene speaks to the cultural authority of the classical world in shaping European identity and artistic taste. Understanding this print requires research into the Grand Tour, Neoclassical art, and the rediscovery of Pompeii. These resources help us interpret the image as a reflection of its own time, rather than simply a window into the past.