Pieter Gerardus Sgamaar – Night Market By Candlelight – Oil On Panel – Signed

Pieter Gerardus Sgamaar
Night Market Scene by Candlelight
Oil on panel
28 x 23 cm
Signed lower right

This charming oil-on-panel painting follows the trend started by Petrus van Schendel (1808–1878), a Belgian master famous for his candlelit night market scenes. P.G. Sgamaar skillfully captures this popular 19th-century artistic style.

The painting depicts a twilight market scene with a remarkable atmosphere. In the foreground, three women dressed in traditional attire stand around a vegetable stand. The flickering candlelight reveals their expressive faces and shimmering fabrics. One woman, dressed in a bright red dress and white bonnet, stands out. The produce displayed on the stall—cabbages, squash, and other goods—is rendered with meticulous realism.

In the background, a cobbled street is visible, and other figures blend into the twilight. Meanwhile, the moon pierces through the clouds, creating a striking contrast between deep shadows and illuminated areas. The Flemish architecture, with its gabled facades and sloping roofs, firmly anchors the scene in its northern context.

Technical virtuosity is evident in the subtle chiaroscuro treatment, where a single candle flame diffuses a warm, golden light that creates the intimate atmosphere characteristic of the genre.

The work has been cleaned and is in very good condition. P G Sgamaar signed it in the lower right corner. It is presented in what is likely its original stuccoed and gilded wood frame, which has been partially repainted.

The work is on display at the gallery (07240).
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