Late Visitors to Pompeii

Ask anything

• Denny asked

  what is the meaning of the artwork

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Hello Denny,
  It is quite an enigmatic works so that's an interesting question. The background represents Pompeï and Vesuvius. In this setting, the four men in evening attire seem out of place. They have no interaction with each other, each gazing in a different direction. The figure on the left bears the features of Willink himself. Looking over his shoulder, he seeks eye contact with the viewer, attempting to draw them into the enigmatic scene. Two other figures represent the subsequent stages of life; how he imagined himself as middle aged and as an old man. Casting his attention towards the future.
  The bald man seen from the back is Oswald Spengler, whom Willink greatly admired. Spengler's writings on the decline of the West inspired Willink to choose Pompeii as the metaphorical setting for this painting. Spengler is the only one looking directly at the ruins and the smoking peak of Vesuvius, showcasing his awareness of imminent doom. I Hope this helps to discern the story behind this artwork at least partly.
  Kind regards, Birgit

• lion asked

  what does late visitors to pompeii reflect metaphorically

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Hi Lion, in this painting Carel Willink combines realistic elements to form a Surrealist image. The human figures depict the artist himself in three stages of life. The bald figure seen from behind is the German philosopher Oswald Spengler. The fact that these men are in the midst of the ruins of an ancient city makes us think of the decay and destruction. If we then consider that these men are dressed according to 20th-century fashion and that they are in this almost apocalyptic landscape with the volcano (near Pompeii, as the title suggests) still blowing smoke, it is likely that the artist realized this scene as a metaphor for the decay of modern society. Kind regards, Els
  p.s. we have answered this question already several times, please consult earlier answers then you don't need to wait.

• Gabriela asked

  Hello,
  I was wondering how you could interpret or analyze this painting.

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Dear Gabiela, recently we received a similar question which we answered thus: "It is plausible that in this painting Carel Willink condenses numerous symbolic elements drawn from reality, which together create a Surrealist composition. The human figures depict the artist himself in three stages of life, while the bald figure from behind is a person Willink esteemed named Oswald Spengler. The fact that these men are in the midst of the ruins of an ancient city makes us think of the decay and destruction. If we then consider that these men are dressed according to 20th-century fashion and that they are in this almost apocalyptic landscape with the volcano (near Pompeii, as the title suggests) still blowing smoke, it is likely that the artist realized this scene as a metaphor for the decay of modern society.". Our answers are published on the website, so check if your question has been answered already so you don't have to wait. Kind regards, Els

• Richelle asked

  did he use his imagination or did he observe them

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Hi Richelle,
  It is plausible that in this painting Carel Willink condenses numerous symbolic elements drawn from reality, which together create a Surrealist composition. The human figures depict the artist himself in three stages of life, while the bald figure from behind is a person Willink esteemed named Oswald Spengler. The fact that these men are in the midst of the ruins of an ancient city makes us think of the decay and destruction. If we then consider that these men are dressed according to 20th-century fashion and that they are in this almost apocalyptic landscape with the volcano (near Pompeii, as the title suggests) still blowing smoke, it is likely that the artist realized this scene as a metaphor for the decay of modern society. Kind regards, Mara

• hmai asked

  Which museum acquired the painting and what does the painting really mean?

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Hi Rosien, this painting was acquired by Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in the 1930s, after the museum organized an exhibition about Carel Willink. It is very difficult to pinpoint its meaning, since it appears a vision rather than recording visual reality. We see contemporary (or at least 20th century) men in between the ruins of classical buildings against a mountainous landscape. One of the mountains is a volcano, smoking just a bit. By referring to Pompeï in the title, Willink might have wanted to make us think of the destruction of this complete city by the unexpected outbreak of mount Vesuvius two thousand years earlier. Maybe the artist wanted to express that at the beginning of the 1930's again 'a volcano' was at the verge of breaking out. Kind regards, Els

• Ha My asked

  What technique is Carel Willink known for in his paintings like "Late Visitors to Pompeii"?

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Hi Ha My, Carel Willink started his artistic career at the beginning of the 1920's and first experimented with modern painting styles and techniques like cubism and orphism. At the beginning of the1930's he turned to the illusionistic painting techniques of the old master, like the famous Spanish Surrealist Salvador Dalí, to create strange and unsettling images which appear to be very real. Kind regards, Els

• Quan asked

  Why is pompeii? not another city

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Hi Quan, Thanks for your question. It is not easy to give a satisfying answer, because the artist gave the painting it's title and is the only one who really knows. Moreoevr it is a Surrealist work in which different realities meet to creat a strange new one. The image though has some suggestions of Pompeï: the smoking mountain can be the volcano Vesuvius which made the antique Pompeï disappear under lava. The classical ruins might refer to the lost city. Kind regards, Els

• Lisa asked

  Is it possible the figure in the foreground with hands folded is Jan Willink, Carel Willink's brother? Are there any photographs or portraits of Jan?

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Dear Lisa, Last year Silvia Willink, Carel's last wife, explained something about the people portrayed in this painting. The figure on the left, looking over his shoulder, is as you probably already understood Carel Willink himself. The bald man on the back is Oswald Spengler, which Willlink admired. The other three persons are also all self-portraits, but in different stages of life, young man, middle age and old man. So it's not a strange thought from you at all and maybe he took his brother as a comparison to his younger self. Kind regards, Sofie

• Lucas Slot asked

  Ik ben van plan een print van dit schilderij (late visitors to Pompeii) in te lijsten. Is het mogelijk een afbeelding in hoge resolutie op te sturen? (of direct bij jullie zo'n print te kopen)
  
  Groeten,
  Lucas

• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen answered

  Beste Lucas, op dit moment wordt ons museumgebouw gerenoveerd en het publiek toegankelijke depot gaat pas in het najaar open. Daarom kunnen wij geen reproducties aanbieden. Voor afbeeldingen van werken uit de collectie kun je contact opnemen met images@boijmans.nl. Hartelijke groet, Els.