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A View of Delft after the Explosion of 1654

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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On 12 October 1654 – the date inscribed on the painting – one of the gunpowder stores in the city of Delft accidentally detonated, flattening a large part of the city. A local artist, Egbert van der Poel, was so fascinated by the event that he painted this scene at least 20 times. Judging from contemporary maps and buildings which still exist, the pictures appear to be a largely accurate view of the devastation. All that was left on the site of the store was a deep pool of water (probably the one we can see on the right side of this picture). The buildings on the horizon are churches, the town hall and the hospital. While van der Poel seems to have painted what he saw, the importance and visual prominence of these buildings lends a symbolic strength to the scene.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

A View of Delft after the Explosion of 1654

Date

1654

Medium

Oil on oak

Measurements

H 36.2 x W 49.5 cm

Accession number

NG1061

Acquisition method

John Henderson Bequest, 1879

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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