Split of the house aforesaid 

This engraving by Giovanni Battista Piranesi depicts the ruins of the Surgeon's House in Pompeii. Piranesi was working in the 18th century, a time when Europe was in thrall to the rediscovery of the classical world. Here, Piranesi invites us to consider the weight of history and the passage of time. The scene is imbued with a sense of melancholy; a lone figure sits amongst the ruins, seemingly lost in thought. In its time, Pompeii was a bustling city, full of life and commerce, much like 18th century Europe. Now, it’s a ghost of its former self, its grandeur undermined by the destructive force of nature. There is a dialogue here between past and present, between ideal and reality. The artist asks us to consider the transience of human achievement and the inevitability of decay. What can be learned from Pompeii, from its sudden and catastrophic end? How do we, in the present, acknowledge the past while also looking forward to the future?