19th Century Oil on Canvas Painting of Monte Cristo

An atmospheric view of the small island of Monte Cristo, off the west coast of Italy, which is only just over 10 square km in size and which is most famous for being the setting of Alexander Dumas’ famous novel “The Count of Monte Cristo”. The painting is oil on canvas and appears to be unsigned. Information labels on the back suggest that Dumas sailed to Elba with Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew and when he caught sight of Monte Cristo on the journey, he said he’d make it the subject of a book. The labels also suggest that the ship depicted is flying the flag of Tuscany, to which state the island belonged after the fall of Napoleon. Dating to circa 1850, this is oil on canvas in a gilt wood frame, and originates from Italy.