Naples, a view of the Riviera di Chiaia, from the north-west, with Vesuvius beyond; and Naples, from the south-east, with the Castel Nuovo

Few artists of the eighteenth century were as widely travelled as Antonio Joli. At an early age he moved to Rome, where he entered the studio of Giovanni Paolo Panini before returning north to Modena and Perugia to work as a scene painter. By 1735, he was in Venice, where he came into contact with Canaletto. He arrived in 1744 in London and remained in England, where his patrons included Charles, 2nd Duke of Richmond, grandson of King Charles II, until 1748. After a sojourn in Madrid, he received permission from the Spanish king to return to Italy in 1755. The artist settled in Naples, where he enjoyed the patronage of Charles VII, later King Charles III of Spain.

These two sparkling views demonstrate Joli's versatility and elegance as a view painter: topographically accurate and executed with a typically light touch, the artist readily summons the atmosphere of Naples. In the view from the north-west, we see the refined coastline of Chiaia, with Castel Sant’Elmo standing on the hill above, and the Castel dell’Ovo visible to the right, beyond a stretch of water. Vesuvius, with smoke rising from one crater, lies beyond. The pendant takes its viewpoint from further down the coast, looking back up towards Castel Sant’Elmo, with the church domes populating the centre of Naples to the right of the picture. Naples was, of course, one of the highlights of the Grand Tour, particularly after the discovery and excavation of the nearby ancient sites of Herculaneum in 1739 and Pompeii a decade later. Joli’s views of Naples, and its surrounding countryside, were highly sought after by wealthy visitors to the city. His patrons included Sir William Hamilton and John, Lord Brudenell, later Marquess of Monthermer, who commissioned a number of views of Naples and other southern cities from the artist.