“Pompeii and theRoman Villa: Art and Culture Aroundthe Bay of Naples,” at the NationalGallery of Art from October 19through March 22, is an enchantingromp through an area of Italy that wasto ancient Rome what the Hamptonsare to modern-day New York. A Who’s Who of emperors- Julius Caesar andAugustus, among them—came, sawand vacationed in seaside villas. Thegrandeur of their lifestyle is apparentin the more than 110 pieces on display,including frescoes, garden sculpture,floor mosaics and decorativeobjects, which datefrom the 1st century B.C.through the 1st centuryA.D. An additional displayof about 50 works bysuch artists as the Frenchpainter Pierre-Henri Valenciennes (1750–1819)and the American sculptorRandolph Rogers (1825–1892) reveals the cultural impact thatthe excavations of the ancient city,begun in the mid-18th century, hadworldwide. Discoveries continue in the21st century—in fact,recently unearthedfrescoes from the siteof Moregine, on theSarno River south ofPompeii, are amongthe show’s thrills.In May the exhibitioncan be seen at theLos Angeles CountyMuseum of Art.

"Roman Holiday" originally appeared in the October 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's October 2008 Table of Contents.