"The Bay of Naples crossed by the steamer Real Ferdinand I°," tempera on paper.

Painting "The Bay of Naples crossed by the steamer Real Ferdinand I°," tempera on paper, first half 19th century. Refined and detailed tempera on paper depicts a striking view of the Gulf of Naples taken from the Vomero area, with the imposing profile of Castel Sant'Elmo and the Charterhouse of San Martino dominating the horizon. The central element of greatest historical significance is the presence of a steamship characterized by a tall dark funnel from which a trail of smoke emanates, clearly identifiable as the Real Nave Ferdinando I. This is a key iconographic detail that allows the painting's execution to be placed chronologically at a time shortly after 1818, the year in which this vessel, the first steamship in the Mediterranean, was launched at Stanislao Filosa's Neapolitan shipyards. The composition reflects the taste of vedutisti active in Naples during the first half of the 19th century, who expertly combined the classical landscape tradition with documentation of the new symbols of Bourbon technological and industrial progress. The pictorial drafting is accurate in defining both the city's architecture and the details of the boats at sea, placing the scene in that fertile artistic vein so appreciated by international Grand Tour travelers. Regarding the state of preservation, the paper support shows signs of some folding that has occurred over time, with traces on the perimeters, present some moisture gore and other defects fortunately localized mainly along the outer margins of the sheet. Despite these critical issues , the pictorial film maintains good legibility and the chromaticisms are preserved in their brilliance. Sheet dimensions: 37 x 30 centimeters.