Pierre-Jacques Volaire

Pierre-Jacques Volaire (1729, 1802) was a French painter best known for his dramatic depictions of Mount Vesuvius erupting, which he witnessed firsthand after settling in Naples in 1769. A student of Joseph Vernet, he specialized in nocturnal volcanic landscapes that captivated European Grand Tour collectors and aristocrats. His works are celebrated for their spectacular use of light and shadow, blending Neoclassical precision with proto-Romantic sensationalism.