Title

Eruption of Mt Vesuvius, Seen from the Ponte della Maddalena in Naples, c.1783. Creator: Francesco Piranesi.

Caption

Eruption of Mt Vesuvius, Seen from the Ponte della Maddalena in Naples, c.1783. The eruption of Mt Vesuvius on 8 August 1779 caused great panic among the Neapolitans, for it reminded them of the catastrophe that destroyed Pompeii in AD 79. Although it is uncertain whether Desprez actually witnessed this event, he depicted it with the intensity of a personal experience. The outburst lights up the night sky and casts shadows as in daylight, dramatizing the figures' desperate flight.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art

Reference

HRM23A87_276

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

95,5Mb (4,7Mb) / 16,1in x 23,1in / 4824 x 6920 (300dpi)

Keywords

nature Europe river tree Italy people plant plants arts bay light night mountain mountains science art smoke bridge bridges fire solar system astronomy museum geography Netherlands Dutch color action moon volcanic lava panic dramatic full moon structure ash lunar volcano Campania century print fleeing erupting concept eruption volcanic eruption time of day watercolour Naples Colour panicking Napoli 18th century Eighteenth Century Mount Vesuvius Vesuvius trees Bay of Naples geographical feature Rijksmuseum TGN etching ink landscape Gulf of Naples paper Heritage Art Print Francesco Piranesi Piranesi Francesco Louis Jean Desprez Desprez Louis Jean Louis-Jean Desprez Low Countries ash tree gouache (paint) watercolour (paint) Ponte della Maddalena Sebeto