It might a bit weird, but in the 1770s, the European aristocracy was fascinated by volcanoes. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius has been depicted by dozens of times. The English painter Joseph Wright of Derby visited Naples in 1774. As it happens, Wright did not witness Vesuvius in eruption, but he painted this imaginative vision of a dramatic interplay of light and darkness. Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Vesuvius from Portici
oil on canvas • 101 x 127 cm
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Joseph Wright of Derby