Artwork

Nattestemning med ildebrande i St-Vast-là-haut nær Valenciennes.

Nattestemning med ildebrande i St-Vast-là-haut nær Valenciennes. is an oil painting by the French Romanticist artist Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. It dates from 1851 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1851, this oil painting portrays a nocturnal landscape centered on a burning structure near the locality of St‑Vast‑là‑haut, close to Valenciennes. The composition captures the stark illumination of flames against a darkened setting, a characteristic scene within the French Romantic tradition. The work is part of the holdings of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst.

Subject & Meaning

The canvas presents a night scene where a building’s silhouette is engulfed in vivid orange‑yellow fire, casting a luminous glow that reaches into the surrounding darkness. The background features a pale sky punctuated by indistinct forms that may represent trees or additional structures, suggesting a broader, perhaps devastated, environment.

Technique & Style

Employing a pronounced chiaroscuro effect, the artist contrasts the bright blaze with deep shadows, emphasizing the drama of light versus darkness. Visible brushwork adds texture to the surface, reinforcing the immediacy of the fire’s heat and the atmospheric tension typical of Romantic visual language.

History & Provenance

Painted by Jean‑Baptiste Carpeaux, a French artist known primarily for sculpture but also active as a painter during the Second Empire, the piece entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display.

Nattestemning med ildebrande i St-Vast-là-haut nær Valenciennes, Unknown

Artist & collection

Artist

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (French pronunciation: ; 11 May 1827 – 12 October 1875) was a French sculptor and painter during the Second Empire under Napoleon III.

Museum

Statens Museum for Kunst

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