Artwork
Peace Extinguishes the Flame of War
Peace Extinguishes the Flame of War is an oil painting by the French Classical Baroque artist Unknown. It dates from 1694 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts an allegorical scene in which a female figure personifying Peace extinguishes a flame with her hand, signifying the end of conflict.
The painting depicts an allegorical scene in which a female figure personifying Peace extinguishes a flame with her hand, signifying the end of conflict. She is accompanied by a child holding an olive branch, a traditional emblem of peace, reinforcing the theme of reconciliation. The extinguished flame represents the cessation of war, while the presence of military accoutrements in the background underscores the contrast between strife and harmony.
The work’s iconography aligns with seventeenth-century Dutch allegorical traditions, which often used classical and contemporary symbols to convey moral and political ideals. The composition’s emphasis on Peace’s triumph over War reflects broader cultural aspirations in the post-1680s period, following the Franco-Dutch War and the search for stability in the Dutch Republic.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint on canvas, the work measures 162.5 cm in height and 93.5 cm in width. Its handling aligns with the allegorical history-painting tradition of the late seventeenth century, emphasizing smooth modeling and restrained chiaroscuro to articulate the central figures. The composition centers on a crowned female personification of Peace, who lowers a torch to extinguish a flame rising from a breastplate and discarded weapons at her feet.
The subdued palette and measured gestures produce a restrained, didactic effect, consistent with the moralizing iconography favored in Dutch allegories of the period.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in the Low Countries in 1687, as indicated by both the internal record and the Wikidata entry.
By the time of documentation, it was held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains today. The work entered the museum’s holdings through the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, which oversees the national art collection. Its dimensions are recorded as 162.5 cm in height and 93.5 cm in width.
The painting Peace Extinguishes the Flame of War is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is also part of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands Art Collection. The work is cataloged as an anonymous painting created in 1687. While the Rijksmuseum serves as its primary location, the specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available sources.
The provided documentation does not contain details regarding a specific exhibition history for this artwork, limiting the record to its current institutional holding and creation date.
Context
Painted in 1687 in the Low Countries, the work was classified as a history painting and allegory by the Rijksmuseum, reflecting contemporary Dutch artistic interests in moral allegory during the late 17th century
Scholarship identifies it as an anonymous piece within the museum's collection, yet its formal qualities and thematic content have been analyzed as representative of Dutch Golden Age approaches to peace symbolism and political narrative
The painting's placement within the Rijksmuseum's holdings situates it within a broader corpus of Northern European history paintings that engage with contemporary conflicts, establishing its significance within the artist's contextual framework through institutional classification and material provenance
Legacy
The painting's legacy is defined by its enduring presence in a national collection and its role as an example of Dutch historical allegory. It remains on public view at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is studied as a representative work of late 17th-century narrative painting. Its classification as an allegory reflecting on conflict contributed to its scholarly discussion within art history, particularly in analyses of Dutch Golden Age approaches to depicting abstract concepts like peace and war.
The work's physical dimensions (162.5 cm x 93.5 cm) and medium (oil paint on canvas) are consistent with contemporary practices of the period, reinforcing its significance as a preserved artifact of Dutch artistic tradition.
Overview
Peace Extinguishes the Flame of War is an oil painting portraying a serene female figure in a symbolic act of ending conflict. Her calm demeanor and specific gestures convey a powerful message of peace.
Artist & collection
