Robert S. Duncanson, Vesuvius and Pompeii, 1870, oil on canvas, 10 x 15 5⁄8 in. (25.4 x 39.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph Agostinelli, 1983.95.177
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Vesuvius and Pompeii
- Artist
- Date
- 1870
- Location
- Dimensions
- 10 x 15 5⁄8 in. (25.4 x 39.7 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Joseph Agostinelli
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on canvas
- Classifications
- Highlights
- Subjects
- Architecture Exterior — classical
- Object — art object — painting
- Landscape — mountain — Mount Vesuvius
- Cityscape — Italy — Pompeii
- Landscape — phenomenon — volcano
- Architecture — ruins
- Figure group
- Object Number
- 1983.95.177
Artwork Description
Robert S. Duncanson spent a significant amount of time in Italy, and painted several views of Pompeii. Pompeii's dramatic history and the lure of Mount Vesuvius's still violent potential brought many artists to the area in the nineteenth century. This image shows the remains of an amphitheater, with Vesuvius smoking in the background. Duncanson probably painted this scene from memory, placing different ruins together to create a compelling composition.
