Column of Smoke Issuing Thirty Miles High from Vesuvius

Column of Smoke is a scientific illustration of an erupting volcano, drawn for the purpose of studying Mount Vesuvius. However, because scientific studies of volcanoes were still not taken seriously, this image went unappreciated for decades. In the early Romantic period, still during the late 1700s, the drawing was seen by many to be just another depiction of Mount Vesuvius as awe-inspiring and sublime. The image does feature characteristics that invoke the sublime—intimidating smoke, a tall volcano, and darting lightning. When the image was republished in 1823, however, it took on a new significance for Romantic culture. The Atlas of Nature valued the smoke for its visually-descriptive commentary on the atmosphere, and the image soon became popular in the scientific community. Consequently, the image is significant for two reasons: first, because it seemed (for an early Romantic audience) to portray the sublime, and second, because it was seen as scientifically descriptive by scientists of the late Romantic period.

Two dark figures stand near a canoe in the front right foreground. Far behind them is an empty town at the base of Mount Vesuvius. The volcano emits swirling grey smoke which covers the top three quarters of the engraving. Lightning bolts dart in various directions from the top layers of smoke. The left portion of the image is a mass of dense shadow, while to the right of the smoke column the sky is bright and a little cloudy; the smoke blocks the town from sunlight.

Column of Smoke Thirty Miles High Issuing From Vesuvius (1772) was acquired by William Hamilton from an unknown artist. The image, after being converted into an engraving, was sold to the British Museum. Both William Hamilton and Sir Richard Phillips published copies of this engraving. A copy was published by Sir Richard Phillips in the book Atlas of Nature in 1823. Atlas of Nature became part of Chester H. Thordarson’s private collection before arriving in Special Collections at the University of Wisconsin—Madison.

William Hamilton was a Scottish diplomat and lieutenant in the Scottish 3rd Foot Guards. He was soon promoted and sent to the Court of Naples to be Britain’s ambassador. While serving, Hamilton acquired Column of Smoke and made it into an engraving. The function of this image was to study Mount Vesuvius’ eruptions. He later sold this drawing and copies of his engravings to help support him financially. Later, Sir Richard Phillips included this image in Atlas of Nature for its scientific value. The depicted smoke rose thirty miles into the atmosphere, thus extending the theorized atmospheric height. This scientific aspect of the drawing was not fully appreciated until Phillip’s publication in 1823, when the study of volcanoes was more widespread.