Artwork
A Village Looted at Night
A Village Looted at Night is a photography by the Baroque artist Unknown. It dates from 1620 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
A Village Looted at Night, painted in 1620 by the artist known as 2015_person, is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. The work depicts a nocturnal raid on a settlement, capturing the turmoil of an assault under a dark sky.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a village besieged by mounted soldiers who surge through narrow streets while residents scramble to defend their dwellings. A prominent building ignites, its flames spilling warm light onto the surrounding chaos, suggesting both destruction and the fleeting hope of illumination amid violence.
Technique & Style
The artist employs a stark chiaroscuro effect, juxtaposing deep shadows with the bright glow of fire to heighten drama. Broad, decisive brushstrokes convey the movement of horsemen and the flickering light, while finer details suggest fallen figures and the texture of timbered houses.
History & Provenance
Created in the early seventeenth century, the painting entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date. Its attribution to 2015_person has been accepted by the institution, and it remains a documented example of period depictions of wartime raids.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
