Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Mt. Etna from Taormina

I am now (mostly) unpacked from my semi-annual move between Hartford and Naples,
but before I begin posting Florida photos, there is one more thing
from Italy that I wanted to show you.

This is Thomas Cole's breathtaking, huge 1843 painting of Mt. Etna from Taormina in Sicily.
It hangs in Hartford's Wadsworth Atheneum.  I had it with me on my recent trip,
and planned to show my own modest photograph of a similar scene.

But, I think the painting is a montage, not a faithful representation.


Here is my own similar photo of the ruins (which I also posted on October 9.)


And here is a photo from Taormina of Etna in the distance.

I never came across a vantage point from which one could get the ruins and
a prominent view of Etna into a single scene.

OK, I will try posting new material from Naples (Florida) tomorrow.

26 comments:

Kate said...

I like yours better; sorry Cole!!

Mersad said...

Love both. But your landscapes are marvelous!¨

Mersad
Mersad Donko Photography

Ed said...

I think your images are fascinating.From your images, it appears that the ruins have not changed much since they were painted back in 1843.

Tanya Breese said...

i like having the comparisons, beautiful!

SRQ said...

Um…you had Cole's painting with you on your recent trip or a photograph of it? (I have an image of you carting that beautiful painting around the countryside, reviewing it often to locate a similar vantage point.) You unpack quickly! Hope you didn't find any unpleasant surprises after having the Naples chateau "boarded up" for months.

Birdman said...

Close enough for me though.

Karl said...

The painting and your third photo are very similar, probably the ruins don't exist anymore...

Randy said...

I agree with Birdman. Nice shots.

VP said...

Mr. Cole obviously had a drone at his service...

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

You just can't trust those painters. It's actually a lot more realistic than some of the work that romantic painters produced in the UK.

Luis Gomez said...

These are great! Thank you Jack.

Sharon said...

I think it's fantastic that you took that photo with you to find the right spot. You did pretty darn good too even if the artist took a few liberties. Great job!
Glad to hear you are pretty much unpacked and ready to roll. Wish I could say the same. Downsizing takes a lot of sorting out; what to keep, what to discard.

Sylvia K said...

Terrific captures, Jack, an awesome place it is indeed!! Thanks so much for sharing your trip in general -- next best thing to being there myself!! Glad you're getting settled in again!!

jennyfreckles said...

I think it's called artistic licence, and I always think we photographers are allowed the same licence to tweak, on occasion, so long as we're upfront about it.

EG CameraGirl said...

Thanks for showing us reality vs. fiction, Jack. I like seeing the comparison.

RedPat said...

I agree with Jenny - artistic license is allowed!

The jazz club wasn't open yet - too early on a Sunday for them.

Taken For Granted said...

Thomas Cole must have a bucket truck or at least construction scaffolding to get that perspective. Personally, I like your photographs better.

Halcyon said...

The painting is super impressive! Nice to see it compared with the present day view. It hasn't changed so much.

cieldequimper said...

Etna moved. :-)

I emailed you.

Lois said...

The painting is beautiful, but I like your pictures better too!

William Kendall said...

The canvas is impressive, and so are your shots!

Kay said...

Those mid-1800s painters had their own painterly version of Photoshop that added perspectives, lighting, and a rosy glow to larger than life landscapes.

Bob Crowe said...

Of course, artistic license. The painting is the essence of Romanticism, an artificial ideal. The real views in your photos are pretty darn good.

Dianne said...

a photographers delight with the amazing backdrop of Mt Etna. I think you've done excellent with your capture Jack.
I'm sure it was fun walking in the footsteps of Thomas Cole.

PerthDailyPhoto said...

I concur with all above Jack.. Fab shots.. the painting is quite good too :) :)

Unknown said...

Very interesting comparision, Jack! I've never visited Sicily but I would love to.