Vesuvius eruption and view of Portici - Volaire

In the foreground, the Magdalena Bridge (the eastern entrance to Naples) is covered by a crowd fleeing the burning city. The tightly-packed procession of pedestrians, horse-drawn carts and oxen moves along smoothly, even if here and there horses rear up or figures appear to be at the end of their tether, such as the swooning woman rescued by boat. At the far end of the bridge, on the lower right, next to the elegant sailboats moored to await the survivors, a group of women and children, lit by the torches of a priest in a red toga, implores the protection of Saint Janvier, patron saint of Naples, whose image is plastered on a pillar of the bridge. A statue of the saint also stands on one of the other two pillars, facing the volcano. Along with the religious fervor are expressions of fear or despair: a man kneels in prayer, several women weep, their heads in their hands.