History of the Extinct Volcanoes of the Basin of Neuwied on the Lower Rhine

This portrayal of the Eifel mountain range further suggests that Romantic culture was developing an increasingly scientific interest in volcanism. The content of the image is neither sublime nor picturesque, yet the book it illustrates—a scientific work concerning the origins of volcanoes—sells very well and is consumed voraciously by the reading public. Hibbert depicts the European landscape in 1832 as shaped by a Laacher See eruption. In the upper left corner, a farmer is plowing his field with the help of a mule. The village of Eich is depicted in the same frame. The lower frame depicts the hills created by the supervolcano. Due to the formation of these hills, streams (like the Nette depicted in the lower portion of this image) are allowed to flow through valleys to sustain life in the surrounding villages.

After studying the Eifel mountain range with her husband Samuel, Charlotte Hibbert-Ware realized that much of the landscape was formed by volcanic activity. She portrayed this countryside as peaceful and picturesque. There are no exploding volcanoes or clouds of smoke which would evoke the sublime. Peaceful portrayals of volcanic landscapes began to emerge after more was discovered concerning volcanoes. Romantic culture began to understand the potential benefits of volcanic activity for the environment, and it is this sense of natural order and peace that pervades this particular image.

Charlotte and Samuel traveled to Germany following their fifth year of marriage to study the Eifel mountain range together. Charlotte etched this image during their journey. The function of the piece is to accompany Samuel’s text in History of Extinct Volcanoes (the title seems ironic as the largest volcano, Laacher See, is not extinct). In this work, Samuel investigates the ways in which the landscape has been shaped by  volcanic eruptions. 

For his accurate surveys of the Shetland Islands (in which he found vast iron deposits), the Society of Arts awarded Samuel Hibbert-Ware with the Iris Gold Metal. During the early 1820s, Samuel Hibbert-Ware’s reputation as a geologist increased significantly due to this prestigious award. The sell of his book (Survey of the Shetland Islands) financially enabled him to focus on surveying land, and he later performed a survey of Laacher See (D. Hudson, The Royal Society of Arts 84).

The book History of the Extinct Volcanoes with "Plate VIII" was published in 1831 shortly after Charlotte and Samuel Hibbert drew the landscape surrounding Laacher See. A copy of their landscape etching is now owned and available to the public in Memorial Library at the University of Wisconsin—Madison.