The eruption of Mount Vesuvius by moonlight

Henry Pether belonged to a family of artists: his father, Abraham, and his older brother, Sebastian, were both painters who, like Henry, specialised in moonlit scenes—so much so that Abraham became known as ‘Moonlight Pether’. Henry painted topographical views of England, Scotland and Italy, although it is unclear to what extent he travelled beyond his hometowns of London and Southampton. He exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1828 and 1862, during which time he also developed patents for architectural materials and a lamp globe. In 1837, he was recorded as an inmate of a debtor’s prison, suggesting that this may have been an attempt to supplement his income from painting.

European artists of the previous generation, including Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714-1789) and Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797), explored the subject of Vesuvius erupting to great pictorial effect, which presumably inspired the work of Pether and his contemporaries.