Neapolitan School Vesuvius Erupting at Night 1845

An original mid-19th-century gouache painting – Neapolitan School, Vesuvius Erupting at Night 1845.

This impressive, good-sized (approx. 18 x 25cm / 7 x 10") gouache or 'guazzo' of the Neapolitan School shows the 1845 eruption of Vesuvius, dramatically lighting up the night sky. The focus of the painting is the detail of the eruption itself—the dynamic explosion of lava 'bombs' cascading from the crater captured in brilliant, luminous colour. Three small scale figures look on at the lower right, providing a human counterpoint to the unfettered majesty of nature.

The veduta style of the Neapolitan School flourished in Naples during this period to meet popular demand from wealthy Grand Tourists for souvenirs of the city. The anonymous artists of the Neapolitan School employed specific motifs and colours which today can be considered a unique, iconic visual language.

Vesuvius as pictorial icon was uniquely powerful; depicted at night it visually allowed for dramatic contrast of light and dark, fire and shadow, intensifying the viewer's emotional response. This was a time when the spectacle of Vesuvius drew travellers, artists, writers and natural philosophers from across Europe, eager to experience first-hand the feelings of awe that fuelled the Romantic imagination. The inclusion of figures in the scene was critical in siting the viewer within the action—the power of the spectacle defined by its effect on the human psyche.

On wove paper with hand-drawn border laid down on pale green backing paper.

Provenance: from a Victorian travel album belonging to Florinda Bookey (1832–1916) of Duninga House, Duninga, Kilkenny, Ireland who in 1867 married William Greenwood (d.1887), Ceylon coffee planter.