Two superb new compilations showcasing nineteenth-century illustrations of ancient Roman ruins, Houses and Monuments of Pompeii: The Work of Fausto and Felice Niccolini (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum Publications, 2002; $75) and Ruins of Ancient Rome: Drawings of the French Architects Who Won the Prix de Rome 1786-1924 (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum Publications, 2002; $75), both recently translated from Italian, offer the opportunity to experience ruins before Mussolini, severe deterioration, and modern development took their toll. [More Greece & Rome books...] |