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Mount Vesuvius at Midnight
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
For centuries, artists and tourists have been attracted to Mount Vesuvius, a volcano near Naples. While living in London in 1868, Albert Bierstadt heard that the volcano was active once again, and rushed immediately to Italy. It is not certain that he actually saw an eruption, although the resultant painting presents a convincing image of spewing lava and ash.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineMount Vesuvius at Midnight, 1868. Albert Bierstadt (American, born Prussia [now Germany], 1830–1902). Oil on canvas; framed: 62 x 77 x 9 cm (24 7/16 x 30 5/16 x 3 9/16 in.); unframed: 42.6 x 60.7 cm (16 3/4 x 23 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of S. Livingstone Mather, Philip Richard Mather, Katherine Hoyt (Mather) Cross, Katherine Mather McLean and Constance Mather Bishop, 1949.541
