Vesuvius gezien vanaf Portici met lavastromen uit 1777, 1771 en 1731 1778

Louis Ducros created this watercolor of Vesuvius seen from Portici, capturing lava flows from 1777, 1771, and 1731. The composition presents a study in contrasts—the soft, muted colors of the town against the looming, blue-gray mass of Vesuvius. Ducros masterfully uses line and form to create a sense of depth, leading the eye from the detailed foreground buildings to the distant, imposing volcano. The deliberate inclusion of past lava flows disrupts the picturesque landscape, introducing a sense of geological time and potential chaos. The image operates on semiotic layers; Vesuvius, a signifier of both natural beauty and destructive power, becomes a focal point around which Ducros explores themes of nature versus civilization. Notice how the placid sky contrasts sharply with the implied volatility of the volcano. This juxtaposition destabilizes any conventional understanding of landscape art as merely a celebration of nature, instead embedding it with complex tensions between serenity and underlying threat.