- 241
Pierre-Jacques Volaire
Description
- Pierre-Jacques Volaire
- Vesuvius erupting at night with spectators in the foreground
- signed lower right: Volaire.f.
- oil on canvas
Provenance
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 8 December 2004, lot 52.
Literature
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
In the second half of the 18th century Mount Vesuvius entered an intense phase of seismic activity. This sustained period of eruptions coincided with Volaire’s arrival in Naples in 1769. Eruptions occurred in 1771, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776 and 1779 and it is difficult to date many of Volaire’s depictions of Vesuvius on account of the frequency of these eruptions. Volaire painted an identifiable group of at least nine upright views, including the present painting, looking toward the mountain from across the Gulf of Naples, all of which Émilie Beck Saiello dates to after 1779.1 The tall column of lava is characteristic of the 1779 eruption and differs from the earlier eruptions of the decade, which were noted for their wider lava flows. As with the present painting, each of these views depicts a group of animated figures silhouetted against the night sky watching the mountain erupt in a column of lava, with a rowing boat in the water beyond. A preparatory study for this group of figures was sold New York, Sotheby’s, 14 January 1987, lot 135.
1. É. Beck Saiello, Pierre Jacques Volaire, Paris 2010, pp. 238-242, cat. nos. P85-93.