Vesuvius in Eruption, with a View over the Islands in the Bay of Naples

This painting of Vesuvius in eruption with a view over the Bay of Naples was inspired by Wright's witnessing of volcanic activity during his Italian visit of 1774. The eruption of Vesuvius was one of the defining experiences of Wright's career, inspiring some thirty paintings of the volcano. Wright mastered oil on canvas chiaroscuro effects inspired by Dutch nocturnal painters and Caravaggio, creating scenes lit by single artificial sources—candles, furnaces, molten metal—that gave his...

The volcanic scene demonstrates Wright's unmatched ability to render dramatic light effects, with the orange glow of eruption reflected across the bay and contrasting with the cool moonlight.