Shock of The Old

The Telegraph has posted a slide show of 10 objects from the ancient Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were buried in hot ash from the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 (CLICK). This 2-ft-high Statue of A Stag attacked by Hounds, discovered in a garden in Herculaneum, is one of them. Such masterful carving! These discoveries remind us of the shock of the old which hit medieval Romans when they unearthed ancient treasures in Rome, discoveries which spurred the Italian Renaissance. The decline of art in the 20th Century, when any clot who could cobble together a few girders or hack a vaguely humanoid shape out of stone was hailed as a genius, mirrors the descent of art into the Dark Ages. But will the Anti-art Establishment wake up to its stupidity? Life and death in Pompeii and Herculaneum opens at The British Museum in London on 28 March and runs until 29 September, admission £15. If you're a silver surfer, visit the show on Mondays only between between 12.00 and 16.30 for half price, not shown on the booking form (CLICK).