Joseph Mallord William Turner

Vesuvius and Monte Somma from Posillipo

1819

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

License this image

In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

View by appointment

Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851
Part of: Naples: Rome. C. Studies Sketchbook
Medium: Graphite on paper
Dimensions: Support: 255 × 403 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856
Reference: D16095
Turner Bequest CLXXXVII 8

Catalogue entry

The subject of this sketch is Monte Somma (left) and Vesuvius (right) and the Sorrentine peninsula, seen across the Bay of Naples from Posillipo. Turner’s viewpoint appears to be looking east from a villa on the coastline, possibly somewhere on the Capo di Posillipo near present-day Villa Rosebery. Portici can be seen stretching along the coastline at the base of the volcano, and a small trail of smoke rises from the crater above. The artist made an unfinished coloured study of Vesuvius from a similar location (Tate D16106; Turner Bequest CLXXXVII 18), and another related view can be seen in the Gandolfo to Naples sketchbook (Tate D15669; Turner Bequest CLXXXIV 56a).

Verso:

Blank, save for being stamped in black ‘CLXXXVII 8’ and Turner Bequest monogram bottom left.

Nicola Moorby
April 2010

Read full Catalogue entry

Explore

architecture(41,314)
- townscapes / man-made features(21,691)
- - building - non-specific(3,172)
  - townscape(3,313)
nature(45,208)
- landscape(25,891)
- - volcano(89)
- seascapes and coasts(8,002)
- - bay(528)
  - coast(4,051)
  - sea(3,366)
people(35,021)
- adults(22,638)
- - figure(6,751)
places(41,542)
- cities, towns, villages (non-UK)(13,330)
- - Naples, Posillipo - non-specific(37)
- countries and continents(17,513)
- - Italy(4,478)
- natural features (non-UK)(4,597)
- - Monte Somma(4)
  - Vesuvius(93)

In the shop

Browse the shop