Pompeii in poular culture - Telegraph Karl Bryullov's painting The Last Day of Pompeii (1830-33) depicts the moment Vesuvius erupted and the citizens" reaction. It created a sensation when first displayed, and established Bryullov's reputation in Europe. Edward Bulwer-Lytton's historical novel, The Last Days of Pompeii (1834), was inspired by Bryullov's painting. It helped sparked the modern interest in the ruinedcity, though its historical authenticity has been questioned. In 1971, Pink Floyd performed in the ancient Roman amphitheatre at Pompeii. Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, a film of the concert, was released a year later. In 2003 the BBC aired the award-winning Pompeii: The Last Day, a dramatised documentary of devastation wrought on the city by the eruption. The lyrics of "Cities in Dust," the Siouxsie and the Banshees" 1985 single, describe the eruption Vesuvius. The artwork for the cover shows the famous cast of a dog which perished in the eruption. Mozart came to the city in 1769, and his visit to the Temple of Isis is thought to have inspired scenes from his opera The Magic Flute, written 20 years later. Doctor Who travelled to Pompeii at the time of the eruption in the 2008 episode "The Fires of Pompeii," in which giant rock-like creatures try to use Vesuvius to conquer the human race. Those who used the Cambridge Latin Course will remember Pompeii as the home of Caecilius, his family, and Grumio and Clemens, his hapless slaves. Caecilius is killed alongside his loyal dog, Cerberus, as Vesuvius erupts.