Vesuvius Erupting at Night
Francesco Fidanza, Vesuvius Erupting at Night, ca. 1790, oil on canvas, Museum Purchase: Funds provided by the European and American Art Council, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Pritzker, and Shawn and Lisa Magnum; presented at the 2013 New for the Wall, public domain, 2013.86.1
This work is on view.
- Title
Vesuvius Erupting at Night
- Artist
- Date
ca. 1790
- Medium
oil on canvas
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
15 1/2 in x 22 3/4 in
- Collection Area
European Art
- Category
Paintings
- Object Type
painting
- Culture
Italian
- Credit Line
Museum Purchase: Funds provided by the European and American Art Council, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Pritzker, and Shawn and Lisa Magnum; presented at the 2013 New for the Wall
- Accession Number
2013.86.1
- Copyright
public domain
- Terms
- Location
The Bay of Naples became a major tourist destination in the eighteenth century because Vesuvius was in the midst of a prolonged period of volcanic activity. Paintings of eruptions were usually set at night to contrast the dramatic pyrotechnics of untamed nature with the cool serenity and constancy of the Moon. Fidanza specialized in picturesque views of the Italian coastline after studying with Lacroix de Marseille, whose A Shipwreck is in the Museum's collection. Both images reflect contemporary taste for the "Sublime," a term then applied to natural forces of such awesome, lifethreatening power that they instill pleasurable horror in viewers.
- Exhibitions
2023 Throughlines: Connections in the Collection Portland Art Museum
