Amedeo Maiuri, director of the National Museum at Naples, was taking a short vacation seven weeks ago when he got an electrifying phone call from one of his archeologists at nearby Pompeii: "We're uncovering the best-preserved Roman painting ever!" Maiuri hurried over, and sure enough, there was something to make him dig hard. Peering over a layer of volcanic gravel were the head and shoulders of a beautiful woman.
Archeologist Maiuri's men cleared away the rest of the gravel. There, astonishingly preserved, was a 7-ft. mural of Venus reclining on a sea shell, attended by cupids. Unlike most Pompeian paintings, which...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
