Pierre-Jacques Volaire
Pierre-Jacques Volaire, was a French painter.
Also referred to as le chevalier Volaire, he was born in Toulon as the son of the official city painter and writer. Volaire's art career started when he became the pupil of Claude-Joseph Vernet in 1754, where he served as Vernet's assistant for eight years. Vernet was in France painting a series of seascapes for King Louis XV, which resulted in his Views of the Ports of France series. Despite his connections to Vernet, Volaire's exact artistic role in the series is uncertain. After serving under Vernet, Volaire left France for Rome in 1764, bringing with him his talents in landscape and seascape painting. He settled in Naples in 1769 where he lived until he died in 1799 or 1802. There is little else known about Volaire's personal life.
Volaire in Naples (1769 – death)
Using his training in landscape painting under Vernet, Pierre-Jacques Volaire became a specialist in depictions of Mount Vesuvius in eruption. During his lifetime, Volaire completed at least thirty Vesuvius paintings, many of which are now housed in museums around the world. These paintings were inspired by Volaire's many visits to the summit of Vesuvius, which was particularly active during the second half of the eighteenth century. Volaire's Vesuvius paintings were typically commissioned by tourists on the Grand Tour, who sought to commemorate their visit to the volcano. Bergeret de Grancourt wrote of Volaire when he visited Vesuvius on 23 April 1774, “I was with a painter named M. Volaire who succeeded superbly in rendering the horror of Vesuvius, of which I will bring back a painting”. It is unknown what happened to de Grancourt's painting.Over the course of thirty years Volaire witnessed at least two major eruptions of Vesuvius, including the one in 1779 and 1794. He may have also been present for the 1767 eruption. These eruptions, coupled with recent archaeological re-discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum, drew tourists to the Naples region and funded Volaire's career in Naples.