PETRUS VAN SCHENDEL | Market in Amsterdam by Moonlight

Sale: Sotheby Mak van Waay, Amsterdam, 30 October 1979, lot 220

Sale: Sotheby Mak van Waay, Amsterdam, 15 May 1984, lot 143

MacConnal-Mason Ltd., London

Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1985

Antwerp, Tentoonstelling van Levende Meesters, 1869, no. 1043 (as Marché hollandaise – Effet de lumière et de lune. Vue prise à Amsterdam)

Market in Amsterdam by Moonlight demonstrates van Schendel’s preoccupation with both natural and artificial sources of light; the dramatic silhouettes of buildings against the cold light of the moon sharply juxtaposed with the warmth of the candles which bounce off the soft features of the figures at the market. Van Schendel's evocative scenes of night markets defined by dramatic chiaroscuro effects resulted in his moniker: ‘Monsieur Chandelle’. 

The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Dr Jan de Meere.