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Lot Essay
On the morning of Monday, 12 October 1654, around ninety thousand pounds of gunpowder in one of Delft's powder magazines exploded devastating a large part of the city. The magazine, known as the Secreet van Holland, was situated in the north-eastern corner of the town, near to the Geergweg. The power of the blast was such that almost all of the buildings in the immediate vicinity were completely destroyed and many beyond damaged to varying degrees. The number of fatalities is unknown, but included the painter Carel Fabritius who was said to have been painting a portrait in his studio on the Doelenstraat at the time of the explosion. News of the disaster spread quickly around the country causing a national sensation. Joost van Vondel and Pieter de Witt both published poems about the event and Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia visited the city along with many others who came to witness the devastaion at first hand.
Of the local artists who responded to the calamity (Daniel Vosmaer and Herman Saftleven among them), none capitalised more on the artistic possibilities of the ravaged scene than Egbert van der Poel. He might well have witnessed the explosion in person and was directly affected by the tragedy in the loss of his daughter, who was buried at the Nieuwe Kerk two days after the blast.
The viewpoint is from behind the former powder magazine, now a pool of water in the right foreground, and shows, from left to right, the Nieuwe Kerk, the Town Hall, the Oude Kerk and the Sint Joris chapel, in the background.
The several known versions of this composition by Van der Poel, despite all being dated 1654, were presumably executed over a number of years following the event.The exact number of versions is not known. Maclaren lists fifteen when discussing the version in the National Gallery, London (National Gallery Catalogues, Catalogue of the Dutch Schools, London, 1991, p. 307, under no. 1061). All exhibit slight variations in the staffage and detail but the composition remains essentially the same. The main difference being that some, this painting and versions at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam and Prinsenhof Museum, Delft included, show the explosion occuring, while the National Gallery picture and others focus on the aftermath.
Of the local artists who responded to the calamity (Daniel Vosmaer and Herman Saftleven among them), none capitalised more on the artistic possibilities of the ravaged scene than Egbert van der Poel. He might well have witnessed the explosion in person and was directly affected by the tragedy in the loss of his daughter, who was buried at the Nieuwe Kerk two days after the blast.
The viewpoint is from behind the former powder magazine, now a pool of water in the right foreground, and shows, from left to right, the Nieuwe Kerk, the Town Hall, the Oude Kerk and the Sint Joris chapel, in the background.
The several known versions of this composition by Van der Poel, despite all being dated 1654, were presumably executed over a number of years following the event.The exact number of versions is not known. Maclaren lists fifteen when discussing the version in the National Gallery, London (National Gallery Catalogues, Catalogue of the Dutch Schools, London, 1991, p. 307, under no. 1061). All exhibit slight variations in the staffage and detail but the composition remains essentially the same. The main difference being that some, this painting and versions at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam and Prinsenhof Museum, Delft included, show the explosion occuring, while the National Gallery picture and others focus on the aftermath.