'Bay of Naples from Castellamare, May 1858' (Italy) RMG PZ4699

'Bay of Naples from Castellamare, May 1858' [Italy]
No. 27 in Fanshawe's Baltic and later album, 1843 - 83. Captioned by the artist on the album page below the image, as title. The view is taken from south of Vesuvius, here seen fuming with volcanic vapours streaming roughly westward. Naples is much further into the far left, on the north-west side of the bay. Fanshawe was at this time in poor shape from a rheumatic left hip, though still commanding the 'Centurion' and helped by having his wife with him on board when at sea, by dispensation of Admiral Lord Lyons, the Mediterranean commander-in-chief. On 22 May he wrote to his father that 'by the advice of the doctors to renew my health and strength by change of scene and air', they were leaving Malta that afternoon on a French steamer for Naples, and intending to be back in Malta on 9 June. 'I hope to be able to be a great deal in the open air, driving about to the spots most worth seeing; and also that we shall pass three or four days at Castellamare and Sorrento...' (Fanshawe [1904], p 366). This is the only drawing preserved from the Neapolitan visit in this album.

'Bay of Naples from Castellamare, May 1858' [Italy]