Albert BierstadtAmerican, 1830–1902Mount Vesuvius at Midnight
May one see it?
Not receiving at present
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
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.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Particulars
- Accession number
- 1949.541
In the catalog
Sources
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image: The Cleveland Museum of Art — Museum open access
Meanwhile, in the life of Albert Bierstadt
The whole life1867
Shows his landscapes to Queen Victoria in London
Back in Europe, Bierstadt began in London, where he showed two of his landscapes to Queen Victoria at a private reception.
1867–1869
Two years in Europe: pictures, contacts, publicity
For two years Bierstadt travelled around Europe, painting new works and cultivating social and business contacts to sustain the market for his art on the continent. He matched grand subjects with entrepreneurial flair: his one-picture exhibitions came with promotion and ticket sales — 'a vast machinery of advertisement and puffery', in one critic's words.
1868
The Yosemite pictures bring invitations to expeditions
The publicity around his Yosemite Valley paintings led a number of explorers to ask Bierstadt to join their westward expeditions. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad commissioned him to visit and paint the Grand Canyon and the surrounding region.
