Saint Januarius Saving Naples from an Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Verso: Small sketch of similar scene.
Medium
Pen and brown ink over black chalk. Framing lines in pen and brown ink. Design framed in vertical, arch-top altarpiece outline
Dimensions
sheet: 7 9/16 x 5 1/2 in. (19.2 x 14 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. John H. Wright, 1949
Accession Number
49.116.16
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the intricate drawing *Saint Januarius Saving from an Eruption of. Vesuvius* (1724), Florentine Baroque artist Anton Domenicoiani captures a dramatic moment of divine intervention. Saint Januarius, Naples' revered patron saint, is shown shielding the city from the fury of Mount Vesuvius, a volcano long synonymous with peril—most infamously for burying Pompeii in 79. Created during Gabbiani's later career, when he served the Medici court, this work reflects the era's fervent Baroque emphasis on faith triumphing over catastrophe, blending religious devotion with vivid natural drama. Executed...