Artwork
The Rapenburg in Leiden three Days after the Explosion of the Gunpowder-Ship on 12 January 1807
The Rapenburg in Leiden three Days after the Explosion of the Gunpowder-Ship on 12 January 1807 is an oil painting by Johannes Jelgerhuis. It dates from 1807 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays the Rapenburg canal in Leiden shortly after the gunpowder‑ship explosion of 12 January 1807, capturing a scene of ruined urban fabric.
The work portrays the Rapenburg canal in Leiden shortly after the gunpowder‑ship explosion of 12 January 1807, capturing a scene of ruined urban fabric. A small boat, a leafless tree and a partially collapsed house appear amid the wreckage, emphasizing the sudden destruction of domestic space. By focusing on these everyday elements within a devastated setting, the painting memorializes the disaster and documents the altered cityscape, serving both as a visual record of the catastrophe and as a symbolic commentary on loss and resilience in the immediate aftermath.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard combination for early nineteenth-century Dutch landscape painting. Classified as a landscape, it depicts the aftermath of the Leiden gunpowder disaster along the Rapenburg, with boats, trees, and houses arranged across the horizontal composition. The canvas measures 86 cm in height by 114 cm in width, giving the scene a broad, panoramic format suited to its documentary subject. The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum collection.
No condition, handling, or stylistic details are documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
Johannes Jelgerhuis created the oil painting The Rapenburg in Leiden three Days after the Explosion of the Gunpowder-Ship on 12 January 1807 in 1807. The work was executed on canvas and measures 86 cm in height by 114 cm in width. It depicts the aftermath of the Leiden gunpowder disaster, specifically focusing on the Rapenburg area with representations of boats, trees, and houses. The painting is currently part of the collection at the Rijksmuseum.
The work is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it is inventoried as object number SK-C-1315.
It was first publicly exhibited in 1808 at the Koninklijk Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen in Batavia, now Jakarta, in an exhibition organized by the society. The painting was later included in the 1896 exhibition "Oude Kunstwerken uit Leidse Verzamelingen" held at the Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden.
Overview
Johannes Jelgerhuis, a Dutch painter and actor of the 19th century, created this oil painting in 1807. Titled "The Rapenburg in Leiden three Days after the Explosion of the Gunpowder-Ship on 12 January 1807," the work captures the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic event. It offers a somber depiction of the devastation along the Rapenburg canal in Leiden, following a massive gunpowder explosion that shook the city. This historical document is now held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
Context
The artwork documents the aftermath of the Leiden gunpowder disaster, which occurred on January 12, 1807. A ship carrying 37,000 pounds of gunpowder exploded near the Rapenburg canal, causing immense destruction. The incident, one of the most severe in Dutch history, resulted in 151 fatalities, over 2,000 injuries, and the obliteration of more than 200 homes. The event prompted a visit from King Louis Bonaparte, who personally oversaw relief efforts.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Johannes Jelgerhuis (1770 in Leeuwarden – 6 October 1836 in Amsterdam), was a 19th-century painter and actor from the Netherlands.
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