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Lesson 10. The Last Day of Pompeii By Karl Bryullov
Before we read the text, have you visited St. Petersburg museums before? What was the piece of art you liked the most?
Please read the text about this famous painting (focus on words in bold):
The Tragic Beauty of The Last Day of Pompeii
If you could travel back in time to 79 AD, would you want to witness the destruction of Pompeii? Most people wouldn’t, but Karl Bryullov imagined this terrifying moment in his masterpiece The Last Day of Pompeii. This massive painting captures the exact moment when Mount Vesuvius erupted, covering the city in ash and fire.
Bryullov painted this masterpiece between 1830 and 1833 after visiting the ruins of Pompeii himself. If he hadn’t seen the ancient city with his own eyes, he might not have been able to paint such a dramatic and realistic scene. The painting is filled with movement—people running, crying, and desperately trying to save their loved ones. A mother clutches her child, an old man struggles to escape, and a priest holds onto his sacred treasures. If you looked closely, you would even notice Bryullov’s self-portrait among the panicked crowd.
The use of light and shadow makes the scene even more emotional. If the glowing lava weren’t so bright, the chaos might not seem so terrifying. The painting became famous across Europe and made Bryullov the first Russian artist to gain international recognition. If he hadn’t painted The Last Day of Pompeii, Russian art might have remained unknown to the world for much longer. Today, this masterpiece is displayed in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, reminding us of the power of nature and the fragility of human life.
Please read the text about this famous painting (focus on words in bold):
The Tragic Beauty of The Last Day of Pompeii
If you could travel back in time to 79 AD, would you want to witness the destruction of Pompeii? Most people wouldn’t, but Karl Bryullov imagined this terrifying moment in his masterpiece The Last Day of Pompeii. This massive painting captures the exact moment when Mount Vesuvius erupted, covering the city in ash and fire.
Bryullov painted this masterpiece between 1830 and 1833 after visiting the ruins of Pompeii himself. If he hadn’t seen the ancient city with his own eyes, he might not have been able to paint such a dramatic and realistic scene. The painting is filled with movement—people running, crying, and desperately trying to save their loved ones. A mother clutches her child, an old man struggles to escape, and a priest holds onto his sacred treasures. If you looked closely, you would even notice Bryullov’s self-portrait among the panicked crowd.
The use of light and shadow makes the scene even more emotional. If the glowing lava weren’t so bright, the chaos might not seem so terrifying. The painting became famous across Europe and made Bryullov the first Russian artist to gain international recognition. If he hadn’t painted The Last Day of Pompeii, Russian art might have remained unknown to the world for much longer. Today, this masterpiece is displayed in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, reminding us of the power of nature and the fragility of human life.
Try to answer correctly!
| Take the quiz |
The sculpture Cupid and Psyche is so detailed that the marble looks like ______.
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| Check |
Canova’s assistants joked that he might have fallen in love with ______ while sculpting.
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Some people believe Cupid is leaning in to give Psyche a kiss that will ______.
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The folds of Psyche’s robe are carved so perfectly that visitors often wonder if they ______.
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Legend says Canova dreamed about Cupid and Psyche’s love story and woke up saying, “I will ______.”
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| Check |
Great work! Well done!
| Restart |
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
To lean down - to bend lower or toward the ground
наклониться
mortal vs immortal - subject to death vs living forever; never dying
смертность vs бессмертие
jealous - feeling or showing an envious resentment of someone or their achievements, possessions, or perceived advantages.
ревнивый, завистливый
to face something - to accept that a difficult situation exists, although you would prefer not to
столкнуться с чем-то
curve - a line or outline which gradually deviates from being straight for some or all of its length.
изгиб, кривая
glory - magnificence or great beauty.
high renown or honour won by notable achievements.
high renown or honour won by notable achievements.
слава, великолепие
Tilda Publishing
The Last Day of Pompeii
The second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the infinitive:
if + past simple, ...would + infinitive
Второй тип условных предложений описывает нереальные ситуации в настоящем или будущем времени, вероятность которых очень мала.
- If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
- She would travel all over the world if she was rich.
Grammar: second сonditional
Second Conditional
| Take the quiz |
1) If I ____(be) you, I____(get) a new job.
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| Check |
2) If he ____ younger, he ____ more.
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3) If we____(not/be) friends, I____(be) angry with you.
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4) If I____(have) enough money, I____(buy) a big house.
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5) If she_____(not/be) always so late, she____(be) promoted.
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6) If we____(win) the lottery, we____(travel) the world.
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7) If you___(have) a better job, we____(be) able to buy a new car.
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8) If I ____(speak) perfect English, I___(have) a good job.
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9) If we ____(live) in Mexico, I ____(speak) Spanish.
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10) If she_____(pass) the exam, she____(be) able to enter university.
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| Check |
Great work! Well done!
| Restart |