The Lanterna del Molo, Naples

This painting depicts the Lanterna (lighthouse) and Molo (pier) in Naples, set against the dramatic backdrop of Vesuvius, a plume of smoke issuing from its crater. The delicately painted figures who populate the scene represent a cross-section of the Neapolitan population, including priests, fishermen and Neapolitan aristocrats in fine costume, the kind of scene that would have appealed to the Grand Tourists of the day.