Gustave Doré created this painting based on an event in Roman history. In 64 A.D. a six-day fire raged through the city of Rome. A group of Romans tries to flee using the underground sewage system. As a typical Romantic Doré was mainly interested in adequately representing the characters’ emotional reactions. Feelings of dismay about the events and sadness about what they have lost and have abandoned dominate this painting. Other characteristic Romantic touches include the rapid, fluid brush strokes and the absence of detail. This has often led to critics reproaching Doré that his work is unfinished.
| Artist |
Gustave Doré
RKD
|
|---|---|
| Title | Rome in Flames |
| Period | 19th century |
| Signatures, inscriptions, and markings | signatures (names) bottom left: Gve Doré |
| Collection | paintings AAT |
| Object type | oil paintings (visual works) AAT |
| Inventory number | 1930-J |
| Acquisition credit |
gift
De Noever (coll.) Brussels 1930 |
| Current whereabouts | Work on display |
| Permalink | https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/1930-J |
| IIIF Manifest | https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/1167/manifest.json |
| Art & Architecture Thesaurus | 300033898 history paintings AAT |
|---|---|
| Keywords Iconclass |
21C
fire (one of the four elements)
Iconclass
21D water (one of the four elements) Iconclass 22C light Iconclass 22C1 natural light Iconclass 22C8 shadow Iconclass 22C9 darkness Iconclass 22E12 burning Iconclass 25I145 canals, waters (in city) Iconclass 31A71 male sex; man Iconclass 31A72 female sex; woman Iconclass 31D112 child Iconclass 31D1121 tot, toddler ~ the ages of man Iconclass 31D12 youth, young man, adolescent Iconclass 31D13 adolescent, young woman, maiden Iconclass 31D14 adult man Iconclass 31D15 adult woman Iconclass 33B9 flight, running away; pursuing Iconclass 41B1 open fire (in general) Iconclass 41B162 smoke Iconclass 41B4 on fire, ablaze Iconclass 45L43 devastated, ruined place or city (~ warfare) Iconclass 45M5 fugitives Iconclass 45M51 fugitives 'en route' Iconclass 46C2231 pier, quay, wharf Iconclass 46C23 boat propelled by man or animal Iconclass 46C232 rowing-boat, canoe, etc. Iconclass 61D(ITALY) geographical names of countries, regions, mountains, rivers, etc. (names of cities and villages excepted) (ITALY) Iconclass 61E(ROME) names of cities and villages (ROME) Iconclass 98 classical history Iconclass 98A events and situations from classical history Iconclass 98A(64)(+9) events and situations from classical history (64) (+ belonging to Roman history) Iconclass |
| School / Style | historicism (theory) AAT |
| Gustave Doré : Bibliographie et catalogue complet de l'oeuvre / Jean Valmy-Baysse, Louis Dézé. - Paris : Editions Marcel, 1930 |
| Catalogus van het Museum van Schoone Kunsten Gent : II: Moderne Meesters / Georges Chabot, Fritz Van Loo. - Gent : Ad. Hoste, 1932 (p. 174) |
| Gustave Doré : 1832-1883 (exposition Strasbourg, Musée d'Art Moderne, 11.06 - 31.08.1983) / Nadine Lehni, Marie-Jeanne Geyer, Samuel F. Clapp, Chr. Hamm. - Strasbourg : Musées de Strasbourg, 1983 |
| Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent : Catalogus schilderkunst ; Deel I: 14de - 18de eeuw ; Deel II: 19de - 20ste eeuw / Robert Hoozee, Johan De Smet, Bruno Fornari, Ruth Monteyne. - Gent : Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent, 2007 (dl. II, p. 134-135 (ill.)) |
|
Do you have any suggestions, questions or information about this work? Write us, collectie.msk@stad.gent |