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Egbert van der Poel, 'A View of Delft after the Explosion of 1654', 1654

About the work

Overview

On 12 October 1654 – the date inscribed on the painting – one of the gunpowder stores in the city of Delft accidentally detonated, flattening a large part of the city. A local artist, Egbert van der Poel, was so fascinated by the event that he painted this scene at least 20 times. Judging from contemporary maps and buildings which still exist, the pictures appear to be a largely accurate view of the devastation.

All that was left on the site of the store was a deep pool of water (probably the one we can see on the right side of this picture). The buildings on the horizon are churches, the town hall and the hospital. While van der Poel seems to have painted what he saw, the importance and visual prominence of these buildings lends a symbolic strength to the scene. Much of the town has been devastated by the disaster, but its great institutions still stand strong.

Key facts

Details

Full title
A View of Delft after the Explosion of 1654
Artist dates
1621 - 1664
Date made
1654
Medium and support
oil on wood
Dimensions
36.2 × 49.5 cm
Inscription summary
Signed; Dated
Acquisition credit
Bequeathed by John Henderson, 1879
Inventory number
NG1061
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners
Frame
18th-century English Frame

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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