Lot 1688 Dα

The Dutch painter Petrus van Schendel was a master of nocturnal scenes. His masterful depiction of artificial light sources such as candles and torches, but also the glow of the moon, lends his paintings an unmistakable atmosphere.
The present work is a characteristic example of Schendel's art. It is not listed in Jan de Meer's 2012 monograph on the painter. However, the author confirmed it to Christie's as an authentic work in 2021, dating it to 1834. This makes it is a relatively early work by the painter, who was born in 1806.
The piece shows a busy fair being held in a town square after dark, under the light of a full moon. The surrounding buildings are only dimly discernible, but the artist depicts the various characters visiting the fair - a market seller, a trumpeter, a quack doctor, an elegantly dressed couple - all the more precisely, rendering the glow of the light on their faces and their robes and hats in perfect detail.
Artists have been fascinated by the magic of artificial light since the early 17th century and have often taken on nocturnal scenes as a special artistic challenge.