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An Eruption of Vesuvius by Moonlight

Image credit: Compton Verney

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Notes

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The eruptions of Vesuvius were among the greatest spectacles of the eighteenth century and fired the imagination of artists throughout Europe. The gentleman with a rolled map and crossed legs on the left could be William Hamilton or perhaps the artist himself. Volaire is documented as visiting Vesuvius in 1774, and an inscription on the reverse of this canvas records that it was painted sur le lieu(on the spot). Given the size of the painting this is probably not true, but it conveys the important role that artists played in recording such sights before the invention of the camera.

Compton Verney

Compton Verney

Title

An Eruption of Vesuvius by Moonlight

Date

1774

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 130 x W 260 cm

Accession number

CVCSC : 0259.S

Acquisition method

purchased, 1999

Work type

Painting

Inscription description

painted : title, artist and date : Eruption de Mont Vesuve/.../sur le lieu par le Che. Volaire/1774

Normally on display at

Compton Verney

Compton Verney, Warwickshire CV35 9HZ England

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