Pair of Neapolitan gouaches, landscapes, bay of Naples, Vesuvius, fishermen, Italy, 19th century
Articles
Pair of Neapolitan gouaches* representing two views of Italian landscapes in the Bay of Naples with Vesuvius** visible in the background, animated by several characters and fishermen on their boats, in gilded wooden frames with oval mats, souvenir of the Grand Tour, from the 19th century.
These gouaches are in good condition, superb quality. They are very decorative.
Please note: slight wear on the frames (rear, see label on the back), some soiling on the gouaches (a little pitted), wear from time, see photos.
* Neapolitan gouaches aroused the interest of tourists in the 18th and 19th centuries, eager to return home with images and souvenirs of their travels. Gouache remained the preserve of Naples, one of the most important cities in Europe under the Bourbons and a mandatory part of the itinerary of the Grand Tour of Italy, a journey complementary to the studies undertaken by all distinguished Europeans. Mostly anonymous and small in size to facilitate transport, these so-called minor works, produced by hand, have delighted generations of tourists. Vesuvius by day or night, in eruption, and the Bay of Naples are the most common themes. Those depicting Vesuvius in eruption were often framed with a black margin where the artist indicated the year and day of the eruption depicted. Many painters have devoted themselves to this pictorial genre. The production of Neapolitan gouaches lasted for more than a century, until the appearance of new techniques such as the reproduction of engraving, from 1840, and photography. (According to Regard'antiquaire).
** Mount Vesuvius is an Italian volcano with a height of 1,281 meters, bordering the Bay of Naples, to the east of the city. It is the only volcano in continental Europe to have erupted in the last hundred years, although it is currently dormant; its last eruption was in 1944. It was responsible for the destruction of the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae, buried on August 24, 79, under a rain of ash and mud. It has erupted many other times over the past millennia and is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world due to its explosive tendency and especially the large population living near it.