Vesuvius in Eruption, with a View over the Islands in the Bay of Naples 1780

"Vesuvius in Eruption, with a View over the Islands in the Bay of Naples" is a dramatic landscape painting by Joseph Wright of Derby, created in 1780. The painting depicts the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, a volcano near Naples, Italy, with a luminous orange glow illuminating the sky. Wright uses the scene to showcase his mastery of light and shadow, and his interest in the sublime, a concept in art that celebrates awe-inspiring and often terrifying natural phenomena. The painting is part of a private collection and measures 122 x 176.4 cm.