POEL, Egbert van der
Soldiers plundering a burning village
Egbert van der Poel today is mainly known for his depictions of the devastating explosion of the Delft gunpowder store on 12 October 1654 in which he lost a child. Soon after he left for Rotterdam.
In the 17th century ‘brantjes’ (fires) like this were highly appreciated and Egbert van der Poel was considered its best representative. In fact the technique of depicting fire was discussed as a separate theme in painting manuals with the correct use of colour and the careful observation of actual fires as the main points of departure. Our painting dated 1655 is one of the very best of these ‘brantjes’
