Three ways of representing Art and Geology in Charles III reign: Vesuvius, Gualgayoc mine and Posillipo’s grotto

Abstract

During the reign of Charles III, the search for information about the different places in his kingdom was constant. The compilation of images culminated, on many occasions, in the commission of artistic objects that were not only limited to the decoration of rooms, but also had the function of transmitting information to their observers. This occurred within the spirit of the Enlightenment, so this information was, in many cases, not easily available the  observers. Sometimes the artists in charge of their representation would not have first-hand access to these natural phenomena or landscapes, so they would have to make use of images made by others in order to carry out their commissions. This is the case of the paintings Vista de la erupción del Vesubio by A. Carnicero, Quadro de Historia Civil y Geográfica del Reyno del Perú by J.I. Lequanda and L. Thiebaut and La gruta de Posillipo en Nápoles by the Real Laboratorio de Piedras Duras del Buen Retiro. The three works analyzed in this work, and belonging to Madrid collections, show the interest that geological nature aroused in various artists of the time.