View of the Bay of Naples with Mount Vesuvius
Normaler Preis 43,737.00 krUnknown artist (Naples), 19th century
View of the Bay of Naples with Mount Vesuvius
oil on metal plate
unframed: 7.8 cm (3.1 in) diameter
framed: 20.5 × 20.5 cm (8.1 × 8.1 in)
This finely executed miniature depicts the Bay of Naples with Mount Vesuvius rising in the background, one of the most enduring and emblematic motifs of southern Italy during the nineteenth century. The work belongs to the rich visual culture associated with the Grand Tour, when Naples was a mandatory destination for European travellers drawn by its classical antiquities, dramatic landscape, and the ever-present threat of the volcano.
Small-scale paintings such as this were produced as portable souvenirs for visiting aristocrats and intellectuals, intended to capture both the picturesque beauty and the sublime power of nature. The use of oil on metal, likely a thin silver-toned alloy rather than copper, allowed for precise detail, luminous effects, and durability, qualities well suited to objects meant to be transported across Europe. Circular formats were particularly popular, often echoing the form of medallions or precious objects, further reinforcing their role as intimate keepsakes.
The exact authorship of this work remains elusive. While numerous painters were active in Naples producing vedute and volcanic scenes for the tourist market, many such works were left unsigned or emerged from workshop-based production, making attribution difficult. Stylistically, the painting aligns with the Neapolitan tradition of landscape painting that balances topographical accuracy with atmospheric drama, especially in the rendering of sea, sky, and volcanic smoke.
The painting is preserved in an exceptionally fine original gilded frame, which enhances its object-like character and suggests that it has remained largely intact since its creation. Together, image and frame form a compelling testament to nineteenth-century travel culture and the enduring fascination with Vesuvius as both a natural wonder and a symbol of the Romantic imagination.
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