Sky over Vesuvius (1872)

Dated 1872, "Sky over Vesuvius" is an artwork by Walter Crane. Context for 1872: Japanese prints reached Europe in large numbers and influenced many artists, while photography changed what painting needed to do. In the 1890s, colour lithography and Art Nouveau made the illustrated poster a celebrated art form. Drawings in brief: Artists have long used drawings to plan paintings, sculptures, and buildings, so a sketch can show how an idea developed. Because line carries so much of the effect, drawings tend to reward close looking at the quality of the mark. The catalogue places it in Drawings. The format is landscape.

On onlly.art "Sky over Vesuvius" is sold as a digital download (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI). The files are delivered by email after payment, so nothing is shipped: you print locally, choosing the paper, size, and frame yourself. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Before printing, compare the proportions of the file with your frame so that nothing important is cropped. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing.

English, 1845–1915

If you like the visual language of Walter Crane, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.