The Eruption of Vesuvius at Night
by VOLAIRE, Pierre-Jacques, Oil on canvas, 149 x 74 cm
During the twenty years he called Naples home, the splendid views of the erupting Vesuvius provided inspiration for Volaire, and the artist in turn inspired landscape painters from across Europe. The French painter Charles LaCroix de Marseille, the English artist Joseph Wright of Derby, the Austrian Michael Wutky, and the German Philipp Hackert, all looked to Volaire as a source.
The present view of the eruption of Vesuvius at night is taken from below the Ponte Della Maddalena. It is a broad panorama, which encompasses a coastal view of the mountain.