This painting of a volcano erupting at night, is part of a moving panorama by Russell and Purrington, called "Whaling Voyage Round the World". The volcano is erupting on Fogo, Cape Verde Islands. Moving panoramas were popular in the 19th century, early moving pictures. They were long paintings creating contiguous views of passing scenery, rolling past the audience. They had a narrator who described the scenes as they passed by, adding drama to the events depicted.