This painting by Stanfield shows the dramatic ‘Castello Aragonese’ off the Italian island of Ischia. The view is taken from the causeway connecting the fortress to the main island.

The vessels in difficulty to the right of the causeway are small Italian cargo boats that traded around the coast. Stanfield was born in Sunderland and spent time in the merchant navy before he became a theatrical scenery painter. This gave him good training in painting on a very large scale. He travelled around Britain and Europe in search of the dramatic coastal scenery and shipwrecks for which he is best known.

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: Clarkson Stanfield (1793-1867)
Date: 1839-42

Image Details
Date: 28 April 2023
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Telephoto Camera 52mm ƒ/2.4
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: ƒ/2.4
Shutter Speed: 1/50s
ISO: 320
Licensing: Image of a Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens asset. This image cannot be licensed.