Sphere special artist and expert in historical reconstruction, pictured visiting newly-excavated portions of Pompeii in 1924. Matania had lost a foot in a road accident the previous year and was still recovering, hence the special chair he was carried in to look around the site. Born in Naples, Matania had grown up fascinated by the city of Pompeii and despite his injury would have been keen to view the latest discoveries. After this trip, he produced a series of four scenes of life in Pompeii for The Sphere.