Shipwreck Scene

Maker Pierre-Jacques Volaire (French, 1729 - before 1802)

Collections

ClassificationsPAINTINGS

Date1770

Mediumoil on canvas

Dimensions18 1/2 x 26 3/8 in. (47 x 67 cm.)

DescriptionThis painting depicts the wreckage of a ship during a storm at night.

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Purchased with funds from the Art Collectors' Council in memory of John Sturgeon

Status

Not on view

Label TextThese paintings (2014.17.1 and 2014.17.2), created as a pair, play off of one another through balance and contrast. In "View of Naples," the juxtaposition of cool moonlight and warm fire allows the chilly sea to provoke a sense of distant wonder while the sheltered bonfire draws us to its intimate protection. In "Scene of a Shipwreck," the artist underscores the dramatic terror of the event by contrasting the blast of lightening from the angry storm with its pitiable victims.

Volaire spent many years in Naples, attracted to the beauty of the bay and drama of Vesuvius, whose eruptions created widespread awe and fascination.

Object number2014.17.1