Vesuvius and Pompeii

Description

Vesuvius and Pompeii

Robert S. Duncanson, 1870

About this Piece

Duncanson was significantly inspired by his travels through Italy, where he spent much of his time. He painted several views of Pompeii, with its dramatic history and the grandeur of Mount Vesuvius. Here, we see the remains of an amphitheater with Vesuvius smoking ominously in the background. Duncanson likely painted this scene from memory.

More About Duncanson

During the Civil War era, Robert S. Duncanson established an international reputation for his Hudson River School inspired landscapes. Duncanson was born free in upstate New York and, remarkably, was self-taught. He launched his career in Cinncinati, Ohio, where he caught the attention of several abolitionist leaders. These leaders eventually sponsored his study in Europe, allowing his reputation to continue to growing internationally. By 1861, the American press praised Duncanson as “the best landscape painter in the West.”

Duncanson’s paintings were touring both England and Scotland during the height of his career, increasing his international appeal. He also helped launch a Canadian landscape movement during his time in Montreal, where he was living during the Civil War. One of his more famous pieces, Land of the Lotus Eaters, was inspired by a text by poet laureate, Alfred, Lord Tennyson. When Duncanson showed Tennyson the piece, the poet was delighted and praised the painter. He said, “Your landscape is a land in which one loves to wander and linger.”

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