Petrus van Schendel
1806-1870 | Belgian

By Candlelight

Signed and dated “P.van Schendel / 1842” (lower right)
Oil on canvas

This dynamic painting by Petrus van Schendel showcases the artist's signature mastery of chiaroscuro in his evocative nighttime scenes. Illuminated by a small lamp and the flame of a single candle, this shadowy scene depicts a dim interior. A small young man looks on as a standing woman hands a seated breastfeeding woman a silver coin; the goods or services being exchanged remain ambiguous. Van Schendel takes care to render a plethora of surfaces and textures with detail while utilizing a naturalistic palette that reflects the low light of the space. Aided by the shroud of candlelight and the enigmatic expressions of the sitters, the painting carries an air of mystery, inviting viewers to make their own interpretations of the scene.

Van Schendel is celebrated today as one of the great masters of light and atmosphere. Though he excelled in portraits as well, his nighttime market scenes have garnered substantial attention and acclaim. This work embodies his mastery of the nighttime scene.

Born in the Netherlands, van Schendel was a student and exhibitor at the Antwerp Academy between 1822 and 1828, beginning his career as a genre and portrait painter. He traveled extensively and lived in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Den Haag, finally settling in Brussels in 1845 where he would spend the remainder of his life. It was during this time of constant relocating that van Schendel perfected his nocturnal scenes. His study of the 17th-century tradition of Dutch candlelit paintings allowed him to master the technique of chiaroscuro. Van Schendel was a Member of the Academy of Amsterdam, and of Arti Sacrum in Rotterdam. He exhibited at the Salons in Amsterdam, Antwerp and Den Haag between 1827 and 1867, with exhibitions at the Salons in Brussels, Gent and the Royal Academy in London soon after. He was awarded medals at most of these exhibitions, including a Gold Medal from the Brussels Exhibition in 1845. Van Schendel's work appears in the permanent collections of the National Museum Cardiff in Wales, UK and The Wilson in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK.

Dated 1842