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On the night of July 7, 1652, fire broke out in the Old Town hall in Amsterdam. The event inspired numerous prints and paintings. Here, the rising flames set against the night sky engulf the building and cast a glow over the square. Firefighters line up to help while others climb on ladders with buckets. The figures are dwarfed by the enormity of the blaze. This painting can be seen as an expression of local pride mixed with an interest in disasters.
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The Burning of the Old Town Hall in Amsterdam on July 7, 1652
Anthony van Borssom (Dutch, 1629–1677)
about 1652
Medium/Technique
Oil on panel
Dimensions
48.5 × 64.5 cm (19 1/8 × 25 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase with funds donated by Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo, in support of the Center for Netherlandish Art
Accession Number2023.132
ClassificationsPaintings
On the night of July 7, 1652, fire broke out in the Old Town hall in Amsterdam. The event inspired numerous prints and paintings. Here, the rising flames set against the night sky engulf the building and cast a glow over the square. Firefighters line up to help while others climb on ladders with buckets. The figures are dwarfed by the enormity of the blaze. This painting can be seen as an expression of local pride mixed with an interest in disasters.
Provenance19th century, probably in a collection in France [see note 1]. By about 1990, private collection, France [see note 2]; July 1, 2022, anonymous (French private collection) sale, Boisgirard-Antonini, Paris, lot 100. 2022, Salomon Lilian (dealer), Amsterdam; 2023, sold by Salomon Lilian to the MFA. (Accession Date: April 12, 2023)
NOTES:
[1] An old, handwritten label in French, probably dating to the 19th century, remains on the verso of the panel. [2] According to information supplied by Boisgirard-Antonini, the painting had been in the same private collection for more than 30 years when it was sold.
NOTES:
[1] An old, handwritten label in French, probably dating to the 19th century, remains on the verso of the panel. [2] According to information supplied by Boisgirard-Antonini, the painting had been in the same private collection for more than 30 years when it was sold.