Lot 64 Dα

This rare and dramatic depiction was probably based on an engraving. The nocturnal volcanic eruption on 8th August 1779 was recorded in numerous prints based on eye witness accounts. The view is depicted seen from the harbour of Naples with the Lanterna del molo, the prominent lighthouse on Angioino Pier, on the left. The merchants on the harbour in the foreground and on the cargo barge are shown reacting surprisingly calmly to the scene. The eruption appears to have been viewed less as a threat and more as a spectacle. This plate almost certainly belonged to the series of similar pieces painted primarily with Neoclassical motifs now housed in the Belvedere in Charlottenburg. The pieces are thought to have originally been destined for the Russian court and were presumably also delivered there.