The Destruction of Herculaneum and Pompeii by John Martin

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Dramatic red-orange painting of a volcanic eruption over a coastal city, with fleeing crowds and boats on a stormy sea.

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The Destruction of Herculaneum and Pompeii, John Martin (1789), Wikimedia Commons. Via artnap.com

Why is this public domain? Wikimedia Commons lists this work as public domain.

About this work

This painting depicts a vast volcanic eruption glowing red and orange across a darkened sky, with fire and smoke pouring over a coastal city. In the foreground, crowds of figures cling to the shore and kneel in despair while boats struggle on churning waves.

File page on Wikimedia Commons

Date

1789

Medium

Print

Museum

Wikimedia Commons

License

Public domain

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