Artwork
Fire of House and Ship on Stocks
Fire of House and Ship on Stocks is an unspecified painting by the American Folk Art artist Robert Salmon. It dates from 1831 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Created in 1831, this oil painting portrays a conflagration that engulfs both a residential structure and a vessel under construction.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1831, this oil painting portrays a conflagration that engulfs both a residential structure and a vessel under construction. The left side shows a house whose roof is consumed by flames, while on the right a ship on its building stocks burns fiercely. Figures in the foreground scramble with buckets and hoses, attempting to curb the blaze beneath a smoke‑laden sky.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a moment of communal crisis, juxtaposing domestic loss with the destruction of a commercial asset. By placing the burning house and ship side by side, the artist underscores the vulnerability of both private and public enterprises to sudden disaster, while the active responders suggest collective effort and resilience in the face of catastrophe.
Technique & Style
Employing strong chiaroscuro, the painter contrasts luminous firelight against a darkened atmosphere, giving the scene depth and immediacy. The handling of light emphasizes the flickering flames and the billowing smoke, while the relatively flat treatment of figures and background reflects a folk‑art sensibility common in early American painting.
History & Provenance
The artist, a transatlantic marine specialist active from the late 18th to early 19th century, produced nearly a thousand maritime works. This particular canvas entered the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where it remains in the permanent collection, representing an example of early American folk painting linked to the artist’s broader oeuvre of seascapes.
Context
Created during a period when American shipbuilding and coastal towns were expanding, the painting reflects contemporary concerns about fire hazards in densely built waterfront districts. The depiction of laborers fighting the blaze aligns with early 19th‑century visual narratives that highlighted communal responsibility and the perils of rapid urban growth.
Artist & collection
Artist
Robert Salmon (1775 – c. 1845) was a maritime artist, active in both England and America. Salmon completed nearly 1,000 paintings, all save one of maritime scenes or seascapes. He is widely considered the Father of American Luminism.
