Lionel Walden (American, 1861–1933) Volcano, c. 1915 Oil on canvas Gift of Frances Damon Holt in memory of John
Dominis Holt (7750.1) Beginning in 1880 and continuing into the first decades
of the 20th century, the volcanic eruptions of Mauna Loa
and Kilauea on the Island of Hawaii attracted the
attention of residents, tourists, and artists. The
academically trained painter Lionel Walden is one of
many landscapists of the so-called Volcano School,
who fed the market for images of the natural spectacle
of the volcanoes by capturing their dazzling
phenomena—including and especially, as in this
example, the nocturnal drama of fiery lava flows,
magma lakes, and smoldering craters. |