"Vesuvius in Eruption," by J.M.W. Turner
There are many paintings of Vesuvius in eruption.

Ten miles away, the luxurious town of Herculaneum was buried by waves of volcanic mud which flowed down dry stream-beds on the side of Vesuvius with sufficient force to crush some buildings, yet inundated others so delicately that fragile ornaments and dishes remained unbroken. Farther off, the town of Misenum was rocked by earthquakes and shrouded with ashes. The seas boiled. It was, people thought, the end of the world.