Two reasons artists became so interested in creating art that was reminiscent of ancient rome during the late 18th and 19th centuries were:
1) the discovery of artifacts in pompeii and herculaneum
2) napoleon's fascination with roman styles and history

Yeah, the answer is right. These were the reasons.

But is important to understand why these reasons were important.

Explanation:

1) The discovery of artifacts in Pompeii and Herculaneum

These cities were dragged by the Mount Vesuvius eruption in the 3rd Century BC. They were discovered in the 16th century and revealed to the world the power and the luxury of the Romanian period. Aphiteathers, bathhouses, streets, houses, all these things fascinated the eyes because they provided the power and essence of a time that no longer existed, promoting a desire to be there, to feel what those people felt before the eruption, to live their lives in such incredible cities. What impressed too were the mosaics that could be found on the walls. A beautiful piece of art. For the Europeans, who were living in problematic times, and struggled during the Middle Ages, those cities were dreams. Napoleon wanted that France could be the same as Pompeii and Herculaneum, no matter if in the architecture or the art.

2) Napoleon's fascination with Roman styles and history

Napoleon's fascination was related to the power and tradition of the Roman period. He named himself Consul when begins to rule France in 1799. In many ways, he was trying to emulate the essence of the Roman power, turning himself into an emperor, living in a France which he tried to transform into Rome with neoclassical architecture, paintings, and everything that could represent that period.

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