Mount Vesuvius Erupting at Night, Bay of Naples, Antique Steel Engraving, 1831

About this sheet

This antique steel engraving of Mount Vesuvius shows the volcano erupting at night across the Bay of Naples, an original Mount Vesuvius print published in London by Thomas Kelly in 1831. The plate is lettered "Mount Vesuvius" and carries the imprint "London: Published by Thomas Kelly, 17, Paternoster Row, 1831."

The scene is dramatic and almost entirely nocturnal. A column of fire rises from the crater and streams of lava descend the slopes, while the moon breaks through cloud and silvers the waves of the bay in the foreground. The engraver has used dense, closely worked tonal lines to build a deep, velvety darkness, so that the glowing eruption and the moonlit water read as the two points of light in the composition. Vesuvius had been a principal sight of the Grand Tour since the eighteenth century, and its frequent eruptions made it one of the most popular subjects for printmakers and painters of the period.

Thomas Kelly of Paternoster Row was one of the most prolific London publishers of the early nineteenth century, issuing illustrated geographies, histories and travel works in weekly or monthly parts. This plate is believed to come from one of those part works; the specific title has not been verified, so it is described here simply as published by Kelly. It is an uncoloured tonal steel engraving, a technique that allowed the fine, dark, even tones seen here and that was newly fashionable around 1830.

This Mount Vesuvius engraving will appeal to collectors of Neapolitan views, volcano imagery and Grand Tour subjects. Its strong contrasts suit a black frame with a white or pale grey mount, and it would make a striking pair with another Italian view from the same period.

The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning and a few small spots confined to the margins; the image itself is clean and strong.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.