Vesuvius and Pompeii

Robert S. Duncanson, Vesuvius and Pompeii, 1870, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph Agostinelli, 1983.95.177
Copied Robert S. Duncanson, Vesuvius and Pompeii, 1870, oil on canvas, 10 x 15 5⁄8 in. (25.4 x 39.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph Agostinelli, 1983.95.177
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Artwork Details

Title
Vesuvius and Pompeii
Artist
Date
1870
Location
Dimensions
10 x 15 5⁄8 in. (25.4 x 39.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Joseph Agostinelli
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Figure group
  • Architecture — ruins
  • Architecture Exterior — classical
  • Object — art object — painting
  • Landscape — mountain — Mount Vesuvius
  • Landscape — phenomenon — volcano
  • Cityscape — Italy — Pompeii
Object Number
1983.95.177
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1983.95.177

Artwork Description

Robert S. Duncanson spent a significant amount of time in Italy, and painted several views of Pompeii. Pompeii's dramatic history and the lure of Mount Vesuvius's still violent potential brought many artists to the area in the nineteenth century. This image shows the remains of an amphitheater, with Vesuvius smoking in the background. Duncanson probably painted this scene from memory, placing different ruins together to create a compelling composition.