Fire
1617
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1617
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Fire is a 1617 ink by Jan van de Velde, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a busy scene by a river where people are dealing with a fire. Smoke rises from a wooden building, and a crane lifts something heavy. A few people stand around a table covered in bread and fish, while others work near boats loaded with hay or barrels. The background has more buildings and a landscape fading into the distance. The artist used fine lines to show smoke and movement, which was tricky for the time. The fire’s glow lights up the faces of the people, making it feel urgent. Next, look up etching to see how artists like Van de Velde made prints like this.
Jan van de Velde the younger (1593 – c. 1 November 1641) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker, mostly of animal, landscape and still-life subjects. He was the son of Jan van de Velde the Elder and the father of…
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