Vesuvius from Portici

Maker Joseph Wright of Derby (British, 1734-1797)

Collections

British Painting Highlights

ClassificationsPAINTINGS

Dateca.1774-76

Mediumoil on canvas

Dimensions39 3/4 x 50 in. (101 x 127 cm.) frame: 46 1/4 x 56 1/4 x 2 1/4 in. (117.5 x 142.9 x 5.7 cm.)

DescriptionThis painting shows a dramatic view of an eruption of Vesuvius from Portici, a town in the province of Naples, Italy that lies at the foot of the volcano.

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Purchased with funds from the Frances Crandall Dyke Bequest

Status

On view

Label TextFascinated with the destructive power and awesome beauty of Mt. Vesuvius, Joseph Wright sketched the erupting volcano during a visit to Naples in 1774. This painting, however, goes beyond simple documentation. Drawing upon the sublime, an aesthetic concept in which the thrill of danger enhances the experience of pleasure, Wright magnifies the volcano's terrifying mass against the minuscule buildings below. The blast of light created by the eruption is intensified through comparison with the pale glow of the moon, rising through the smoke and clouds at left.

Bibliography

British paintings at the Huntington

Object number97.27

Terms