Artwork
A Farm on Fire
A Farm on Fire is an oil painting by the Realist artist Hans Smidth. It dates from 1913 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Hans Smidth’s 1913 oil painting *A Farm on Fire* portrays a night‑time rural tableau in Jutland. The composition centers on a farm engulfed in flames, with a wagon bearing two figures and a group of animals observing the blaze. The work is part of the Statens Museum for Kunst’s collection and exemplifies Smidth’s focus on everyday scenes from the Danish countryside.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures a moment of crisis on a farmstead, juxtaposing the calm demeanor of the two observers with the frantic animals huddled under blankets. The contrast between the illuminated fire and the surrounding darkness underscores themes of vulnerability and resilience within a community facing sudden disaster.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting employs a thick application of pigment—impasto—to render the flickering flames and billowing smoke with palpable texture. Dark tonalities dominate the background, while the fire’s orange‑red hues create a stark visual emphasis, highlighting Smidth’s realist approach to light and atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Hans Smidth (1839–1917) was a Danish realist known for his depictions of Jutland’s landscape and its inhabitants. *A Farm on Fire* was created near the end of his career and subsequently entered the national collection, now housed at the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display as a representative example of his genre work.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hans Ludvig Smidth (2 October 1839, Nakskov – 5 May 1917, Frederiksberg) was a Danish painter. He is remembered above all for his paintings of Jutland and its local inhabitants.
