Joseph Rebell
The Mole at Portici, 1818
Öl auf Leinwand, 37,5 x 54,7 cm
1841 durch König Ludwig I. aus der Sammlung Klenze erworben
Inv. Nr. WAF 804
The Mole at Portici
"The Mole at Portici" is a small-format depiction of the harbour of a small fishing village near Naples. Whereas in the foreground the fisherman are busy with the mooring of a boat, the background shows, on the other side of the bay, the royal castle and behind that the dormant Vesuvius.
The repoussoir or darkened area of the foreground works like a silhouette against the still surface of the water and the brighter background. The fishermen, who are pulling in a boat, are particularly accentuated through a careful use of lighting and composition, setting the scene as if on a stage and giving the painting its sense of depth.