Naples from Santa Lucia
c1831. Graphite on light-weight cream wove paper, 10 x 30 1/2 inches (254 x 775 mm), the full sheet. Light toning and minor areas of surface soiling. On two sheets, adhered around the perimeter of one sheet to a paper matrix which is contemporary to the drawing, likely done by the artist. Areas of adhesive residue on the verso, unobtrusive. All condition points are consistent with age. A superbly detailed Grand Tour panoramic drawing of the Gulf of Naples, with the Lungomare and Mt. Vesuvius puffing ash in the distance. Titled and dated July 1831, just one month before a major recorded eruption.
Mount Vesuvius had a significant eruption period in the early 1830s, with major lava flow activity starting around August 14, 1831, and continuing intermittently with lava overflows from the summit crater until late 1832.
Now best known through the legacy of the Villa Politi, Salvatore Politi was from a dynasty of painters from Siracusa, and an integral member of the city’s aristocracy through the 19th century. The villa was completed on 1862, having been designed by his wife, Austrian noblewoman Theresa L’Audien. In its modern incarnation the building exists as The Grand Hotel Villa Politi. The Villa is a rich part of Siracusa’s history due to its unique location in the Latomie dei Cappuccini, and the villa itself, which was a former noble residence frequented by a string of notable historical figures, heads of state and dignitaries. In more modern times, the villa was used as a base by Winston Churchill during the allied invasion of Italy.
Item number: 2347
Price: $1,000.00
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