Artwork
A Town on Fire
A Town on Fire is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Aert van der Neer. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland.
About this work
Overview
A Town on Fire, created circa 1650 by Dutch Golden Age painter Aert van der Neer, is a characteristic nighttime landscape depicting a small town in flames, viewed from a waterway perspective.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures a dramatic, chaotic scene of a town engulfed in fire, with figures in the foreground observing the disaster. A prominent, flame-surrounded tower dominates the central composition.
Technique & Style
Van der Neer employs muted orange and yellow hues, set against a dark night sky, and utilizes chiaroscuro to create depth and intensify the dramatic effect of the inferno.
History & Provenance
Painted during the flourishing of Dutch landscape painting in the mid-17th century, A Town on Fire is now part of the National Gallery of Ireland's collection.
Context
This work aligns with van der Neer's specialization in nocturnal and winter landscapes, produced alongside contemporaries Aelbert Cuyp and Meindert Hobbema.
Artist & collection
Artist
Aert van der Neer, or Aernout or Artus (c. 1603 – 9 November 1677), was a landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age, who specialized in small night scenes lit only by moonlight and fires, and snowy winter landscapes,…
