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1.
  • View of the Eruption of Vesuvius from the mole of Naples in the night of the 20th of Octr. 1767

Creator:
Sir William Hamilton (1730-1803)
Description:
Hand-colored aquatint From Campi Phlegraei: Observations on the Volcanoes of the Two Sicilies as They Have Been Communicated to the Royal Society of London Naples: sold by Pietro Fabris, 1776-1779
Curatorial Notes:
If the beautiful inspires the peace of a nature controlled, the sublime instills the terror of a nature unleashed. This brilliant image of an exploding volcano reminds humanity of its own everlasting fragility. Despite attempts to tame the earth, settle and harvest its lands, we are always at its mercy. The small, dark figure in a boat has escaped the terror today, but once the fire has been put out, what of this Naples town will remain? And how long until the volcano unleashes destruction on the unsuspecting once again?
Photography:
David Kelly Crow

2.
  • Fall of the Tummel

Creator:
John Parker Lawson (d.1852), author; James Duffield Harding (1798-1863), artist; L. Sabatier, lithographer
Description:
Colored lithograph From Scotland Delineated in a Series of Views with Historical, Antiquarian and Descriptive Letterpress, Volume II London: E. Gambart & Co., 1854
Curatorial Notes:
Combining the beautiful and the sublime, this picturesque image captures both the majesty and power of nature. There is a tension here between the current calm and the lurking danger—the sun illuminates the hillside between threatening dark clouds; the serene lake tumbles over a small waterfall. The fisher on the lower right may catch their dinner, but they should do it quickly and carefully, before the rain begins to pour or the river sweeps them away.
Photography:
David Kelly Crow

3.
  • Emissary of the Lake of Nemi

Creator:
John Izard Middleton (1785-1849) and Filippo Giuntotardi (1768-1831), drawings; Matthew Dubourg (fl.1786-1838), Joseph Jeakes and John Swaine (1775-1860), engravers
Description:
Hand-colored aquatint From Grecian Remains in Italy: A Description of Cyclopian Walls and of Roman Antiquities, with Topographical and Picturesque Views of Ancient Latium London: Edward Orme, 1812-1823
Curatorial Notes:
Beautiful, pastoral, or classical images are peaceful in part because although nature is abundant, it is controlled. The water in this image runs clearly and placidly, lapping at the lush shores thanks to the small stone structure nestled among the trees. This is a Roman emissary, a channel designed in antiquity to prevent a lake from flooding, eliminating potential disaster, cultivating a sense of order and conveying a harmony between man and environment. The beauty here is in the security.
Photography:
David Kelly Crow