Ryan McNaught, aka The Brickman, was recently commissioned by the Nicholson Museum in Sydney, Australia to recreate the ancient city of Pompeii entirely from LEGO bricks! The exhibit, now on display in the museum, shows how Pompeii looked at the moment of destruction in A.D 79, how it looked when it was discovered in the 1700’s, and how it looks today.
Pompeii was a town located in the Italian region of Campania that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The Nicholson Museum told The Daily Mail that this is the largest reconstruction of the ancient city ever made out of LEGO bricks. McNaught used 190,000 individual bricks to build Pompeii, and in the past he has also created LEGO versions of the Colosseum of Rome and an Acropolis for the museum.
The Nicholson Museum is part of Sydney University, which places a central focus on the study of ancient cultures. Innovative exhibits like this help the students connect with the past and better understand daily life in ancient times. “The use of a popular medium such as LEGO enabled the museum to present the ancient world in a way that captures new audiences who may not necessarily be museum-goers and ensure that fun is a central component of the museum visit,”said Craig Barker, education manager at Sydney University Museums.
The exhibit has led to an influx of interest in the ancient city, and the museum has received many artifacts taken from Pompeii by tourists. “People write expressing regret, having realized they have made a terrible mistake and that they would never do it again,” Barker said.
Via The Daily Mail
Photos by Craig Barker/The Nicholson Museum