503 - J. OBERLAENDER (19th century) after BEMEL (19th century), A View of a Burning Village, ca. 1840, Etching

J. OBERLAENDER (19th century) after BEMEL (19th century), A View of a Burning Village, ca. 1840, Etching J. Oberlaender (19th century) after P. Bemel (19th century): View of a burning village in the Roman states, c. 1840, etching Technique: Hand-colored etching on paper Stamp: Collector’s stamp, Lugt no.: 4795. Kasimir Hagen. Inscription: Signed in the printing plate at the bottom: "Peint par P. Bemel | Gravé par I. Oberlaender." Inscribed in the printing plate on the reverse: "Vue d’un village en feu dans les États romains." Additional inscription on the reverse: “Published by Zanna & Co.” Date: c. 1840 Description: The print depicts a view of a village burning at night. The warm glow of the fire and the cool light of the moon lend the scene an atmospheric quality. On the lake in front of the village, three rowers marvel at the spectacle from a boat. Two passersby can also be seen on the shore in the left foreground. However, none of the onlookers appear to be making restless gestures. On the contrary, the static poses of the figures correspond with the strongly horizontal and vertical forms. Even the fire appears as a vertical, almost symmetrical form that radiates little dynamism due to the absence of diagonals. The warm colors of yellow and red make the fire appear less threatening; smoke cannot be seen in the darkness of the night. The inferno is reflected in the lake. It appears to be the setting evening sun. Keywords: Fire, sun, night, moon, fire, village, landscape, nature, rowboat, rower, boat, 19th century, Romanticism, Landscape, Italy, Size: Paper: 19.0 cm x 25.5 cm (7.5 x 10 in), Image: 17.0 cm x 23.5 cm (6.7 x 9.3 in) Condition: In fairly good condition. The sheet has dust stains and fingerprints, with tears in the margins. There are remnants of an adhesive joint on the reverse. The margins and corners are slightly bumped. The sheet has diagonal creases in the left margin. There is a small, dot-like loss to the right of the fire, which has been concealed with dark paint.