Fire in a Village

Egbert van der Poel was a Dutch painter active in 17th-century Rotterdam, known for his depictions of fire and nocturnal scenes rendered in oil on panel. His work captures dramatic moments of destruction and emergency with a documentary precision unusual for the period, treating conflagrations as subjects worthy of sustained artistic attention. Van der Poel's compositions balance topographical specificity with theatrical lighting effects, the flames and smoke illuminated against darkened skies.

Rotterdam