The road at Posillipo, Naples

Bound with PAJ2051 - PAJ2101. No. 50 of 51 (PAJ2051 - PAJ2101): inscribed by the artist on the album page, 'Strada Posilipo [sic], Naples'. Posillipo was a coastal village just north-west of Naples, but now in its suburbs. As the drawing shows the steep ground above the coast road is a place where summer villas were built for wealthy Neapolitans to escape the city. One of those on the waterfront below the road, still called the Villa Emma, was formerly used by Sir William Hamilton when he was envoy at Naples in the late 18th century (to 1800), though part had to be demolished for later realignment behind it of the road shown here. This drawing shows the former landing place and the coast south towards Naples, with the Castel del Ovo projecting into the sea on the north side of Naples harbour, and Mount Vesuvius on the far side of the bay to the south-east. When Butt could have drawn this is uncertain. His Japan and China album (PAJ2050) in which it comes second to last, is not entirely chronological and (with the last PAJ2101, dated 1870) is the only other European view. He returned from Hong Kong in 1870, and if he did so via the Suez Canal it is possible he could have done it then but strange that there are no other drawings of the journey. If not, it suggests he was in the Mediterranean at another time, but when is not yet known.
Lieutenant James Henry Butt

Original size: 160 mm x 201 mm