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Lot Essay
Little is known about the life and career of the Spanish émigré Juan Ruiz, the elder brother of Tommaso Ruiz, with whom he has often been confused. It is probable that the brothers travelled to Naples from their native Spain with the court of Charles VII of Naples (1716-1788), later Charles III of Spain.
Juan’s detailed views of mid-18th-century Naples provide a rare insight into a rapidly evolving cityscape. Over the course of the 17th century, the city had grown to become Europe’s second largest city with around 400,000 inhabitants – second only to Paris – making it an obligatory stop for travelers on the Grand Tour by the beginning of the 18th century. Furthermore, the discovery of Herculaneum in 1709 and the subsequent excavation of both Herculaneum and Pompeii attracted tourists keen to explore the ancient sites. Expansion in scientific curiosity also led to the arrangement of expeditions across the volcanic landscape of the surrounding area, which were particularly popular among French and English natural philosophers and saw some hardy travelers make the journey to the rim of Mount Vesuvius.
The volcano was active in the 18th century, with several fairly severe eruptions occurring in 1707, 1737, 1760, 1767 and 1779. The spectacular sight of Vesuvius erupting, must have provided boundless inspiration for Ruiz’s paintings, which were probably created with the aid of studies made on the spot. Here, the volcano is depicted flaming across the bustling basin of the old Arsenal. The Torre di San Vincenzo can still be seen at right, which dates the picture to before its demolition in circa 1742. The number of boats moored in the bay, some of which fly British flags, attests to the popularity of the city and the volume of traffic would have guaranteed demand for Neapolitan view paintings such as this. The small format, postcard-quality and hardy support probably made this the ideal purchase for a Grand Tourist.
We are grateful to Riccardo Lattuada, Charles Beddington and Ermanno Bellucci for endorsing the attribution to Juan Ruiz.
Juan’s detailed views of mid-18th-century Naples provide a rare insight into a rapidly evolving cityscape. Over the course of the 17th century, the city had grown to become Europe’s second largest city with around 400,000 inhabitants – second only to Paris – making it an obligatory stop for travelers on the Grand Tour by the beginning of the 18th century. Furthermore, the discovery of Herculaneum in 1709 and the subsequent excavation of both Herculaneum and Pompeii attracted tourists keen to explore the ancient sites. Expansion in scientific curiosity also led to the arrangement of expeditions across the volcanic landscape of the surrounding area, which were particularly popular among French and English natural philosophers and saw some hardy travelers make the journey to the rim of Mount Vesuvius.
The volcano was active in the 18th century, with several fairly severe eruptions occurring in 1707, 1737, 1760, 1767 and 1779. The spectacular sight of Vesuvius erupting, must have provided boundless inspiration for Ruiz’s paintings, which were probably created with the aid of studies made on the spot. Here, the volcano is depicted flaming across the bustling basin of the old Arsenal. The Torre di San Vincenzo can still be seen at right, which dates the picture to before its demolition in circa 1742. The number of boats moored in the bay, some of which fly British flags, attests to the popularity of the city and the volume of traffic would have guaranteed demand for Neapolitan view paintings such as this. The small format, postcard-quality and hardy support probably made this the ideal purchase for a Grand Tourist.
We are grateful to Riccardo Lattuada, Charles Beddington and Ermanno Bellucci for endorsing the attribution to Juan Ruiz.