Like many Italian artists, the young Gigante used to create academic views of the archaeological excavations in the area of Mt. Vesuvius. The artist continued to admire these places during his mature years of production, where he experimented with new angles and chromatic combinations. The work, also known as the House of Ariadne, was executed in 1856 for the Bourbons. It offers an unusual vantage point from one of the rooms within the house that overlooks the peristyle (internal court yard with columns).