Pompeii: Gate of Isis

24.5 x 15 cm (9.5 x 6 inches).

This antique print about Pompeii is by Sir William Gell and was made in 1817. Pompeii was a city near Naples, buried by ash by a volcano in 79AD. This is an original antique print made by steel engraving, not a reproduction. It is in excellent condition. Gell was an important English archaeologist involved in excavating Pompeii. He made sketches with the help of his camera lucida which were crafted into superbly detailed engraved prints. Written when Greece and even Italy were comparatively little known to English travelers and classical students, his works were for some time regarded as standard treatises, and much of the information they contain is still valuable to archaeologists.