Flight from Pompeii 1873

"Flight from Pompeii" is a marble sculpture by Giovanni Maria Benzoni, completed in 1873, the year of the artist's death. The sculpture depicts a family fleeing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which destroyed the Roman city of Pompeii in 79 AD. The father shields his wife and child with his body, while the mother protectively holds their infant. The figures are carved with great realism and emotional intensity, capturing the terror and desperation of the moment. The sculpture is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.