Who painted The Forest Fire?

The Forest Fire was painted by Piero di Cosimo in 1505.

Where can I see The Forest Fire?

The Forest Fire is held by Ashmolean Museum.

What movement is The Forest Fire?

The Forest Fire is associated with High Renaissance.

Artwork

The Forest Fire

Piero di Cosimo , 1505

The Forest Fire is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Piero di Cosimo. It dates from 1505 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1505, this oil painting by the Florentine artist Piero di Cosimo portrays a chaotic woodland scene consumed by flames. A multitude of animals, both real and imagined, are shown fleeing the blaze, while the fire itself dominates the central composition, illuminating the surrounding forest.

Subject & Meaning

The work visualizes a dramatic episode of nature’s fury, echoing the description of a forest fire in Book V of Lucretius’s De Rerum Natura. By populating the landscape with a mix of familiar creatures and fantastical beasts, the artist underscores the universal vulnerability of all living beings to elemental disaster.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on panel, the painting employs earthy browns and greens, punctuated by the orange‑red glow of the fire. Visible brushwork creates a textured surface, while the interplay of light and shadow from the flames adds depth to the trees and animal forms, highlighting the artist’s early engagement with landscape as a primary subject.

History & Provenance

Among the earliest Renaissance landscapes, the piece reflects Piero di Cosimo’s interest in combining natural observation with imaginative invention. Though its early ownership records are sparse, the painting has been recognized in scholarly catalogues as a key example of the artist’s mythological and naturalist themes.

Artist & collection

Artist

Piero di Cosimo

Piero di Cosimo, also known as Piero di Lorenzo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, who continued to use an essentially Early Renaissance style into the 16th century.