Mazois' Pantheon

François Mazois, Les Ruines de Pompéi (1724-1738), vol. 3, plate 42

This etching is one of more than 200 plates published in François Mazois’ Les Ruines de Pompei, (1824 -1838). It shows Pompeii’s Macellum, a building located in the Forum that served as a provision market for the ancient city. A focal point of Roman Pompeii, this monument is represented here as a quiet, timeless ruin—an impression that is reinforced by the artist’s depiction of long shadows and an idyllic surrounding landscape. At the same time, this image offers an accurate rendition of the surviving edifice. When this site was first excavated, archaeologists identified it as a temple to all gods (Pantheon) based on the circular structure at its center. But by the time of Mazois’ visit to Pompeii, a controversy over this identification had already emerged. Mazois himself suggested that this building might have been dedicated to the imperial cult, given the mythological subjects of the frescoes on its walls.