A Road in Naples

A Road in Naples

Artwork Type: Painting

Artwork Description: The artwork is titled "A Road in Naples" and was created by Gustave Caillebotte in 1872.

Artwork Date: 1872

Institution Name: Not exhibited in any institution

Artwork Size: 0.4 x 0.6 meters

Author Name: Gustave Caillebotte

Description:

The painting depicts a tranquil scene on a road in Naples, Italy. A horse-drawn carriage, with its dark horse in the foreground, stands on a wide, pale dirt road that stretches across the canvas. The horse, adorned with a red plume on its head, faces the viewer, its head slightly turned. The carriage, a closed, two-wheeled cab, suggests a momentary pause in the journey.

The landscape is bathed in the soft, warm light of what appears to be late afternoon. In the distance, the iconic silhouette of Mount Vesuvius rises against the pale sky, its slopes painted in muted purples and blues. A scattering of low buildings, barely more than brushstrokes of color, suggests a village nestled at the foot of the volcano.

To the left, a tall, bare tree stands as a stark contrast to the lush greenery that lines the road in the foreground. The scene evokes a sense of quietude and stillness, capturing a fleeting moment in the everyday life of 19th-century Naples.