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Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii

Randolph Rogers American

1853–54; carved 1859

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 700

"Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii" was the most popular American sculpture of the nineteenth century. According to Rogers, it was replicated 167 times in two sizes. The subject was drawn from "The Last Days of Pompeii" (1834), a widely read novel by Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton, which ends with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in a.d. 79. Rogers’s evocative portrayal of Nydia highlights her heroic attempt to lead two companions out of the burning, ash-covered city. Her closed eyes and staff allude to her blindness, while the hand raised to her ear refers to her acute sense of hearing. The destruction of Pompeii is symbolized by the broken Corinthian capital beside her right foot.

#99. Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii, Part 1

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99. Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii, Part 1
99. Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii, Part 2
99. Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii, Part 3

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Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii, Randolph Rogers (American, Waterloo, New York 1825–1892 Rome), Marble, American — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii, Randolph Rogers (American, Waterloo, New York 1825–1892 Rome), Marble, American

Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii, Randolph Rogers (American, Waterloo, New York 1825–1892 Rome), Marble, American

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

Title: Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii

Artist: Randolph Rogers (American, Waterloo, New York 1825–1892 Rome)

Date: 1853–54; carved 1859

Culture: American

Medium: Marble

Dimensions: 54 x 25 1/4 x 37 in. (137.2 x 64.1 x 94 cm)

Credit Line: Gift of James Douglas, 1899

Accession Number: 99.7.2

Chronology

The United States and Canada, 1800-1900 A.D.

The Shaping of Art and Architecture in Nineteenth-Century America

The Shaping of Art and Architecture in Nineteenth-Century America

Nineteenth-Century America: Paintings and Sculpture

Nineteenth-Century America: Paintings and Sculpture

American Sculpture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vol. 1, A Catalogue of Works by Artists Born before 1865

American Sculpture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vol. 1, A Catalogue of Works by Artists Born before 1865

American Sculpture: A Catalogue of the Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

American Sculpture: A Catalogue of the Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Met

The American Wing at The Met

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works by African American, Euro American, Native American, and Latin American artists, ranging from the colonial to early-modern period.