Nighttime Crowd Gathered Around A Fire In Paris — French School, Dated 1877

A rare and striking oil on canvas depicting adramatic scene of a fire in the heart of Paris, dated 1877 in the lower right corner.

At the end of a wide urban vista lined with tallHaussmann-style buildings, a fire has broken out. A dense crowd of onlookershas gathered in the center of the street, captivated by the disaster. The artistdemonstrates remarkable mastery of the complex techniques of luminism andchiaroscuro: the diffuse glow of the Parisian streetlamps in the foregroundblends with the incandescent, glowing flashes of the blaze at the end of the street.

Immersed in the dramatic turmoil of a news event. Weare in the Third Republic; at that time, the Industrial Revolution andthe advent of gas streetlights and coal-fired heating systems led to a surge in the numberof fires in Paris.

A rarely depicted subject.

Set in Montmartre slightly later (circa 1920).

Very good condition