How Major Volcanic Eruptions Have Changed the Sky and Inspired Art

On 15 June 1991, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines exploded in spectacular fashion. The eruption, pictured here, marked an important point in the field of sunlight reflection methods (SRM), or solar geoengineering, as the material it ejected measurably cooled the planet. It also slightly changed how the sky above appeared – thirty-five years later, we journey back in time to other major volcanic eruptions, whose similar visual effects were portrayed in some of the most famous art of their eras.

By Dave Levitan and Maryanne Murray