Petrus van Schendel
1806-1870 | Belgian 

A Market by Candlelight 

Signed and dated “P. van Schendel 1847 / Bruxelles” (lower right) and "P. van Schendel / Bruxelles" (en verso)
Oil on panel 

This stunning nocturnal market scene by Petrus van Schendel exemplifies why he earned the moniker "Monsieur Chandelle" (Mister Candle) during his lifetime—and why he is still celebrated today as one of the great masters of light and atmosphere. A monumental masterpiece, A Market by Candlelight showcases van Schendel at his very best.

Van Schendel brings the Amsterdam night market to life in brilliant detail, even depicting the iconic St. Anthoniespoort landmark with precise accuracy in the background. Both the glowing moon and the vendors' paper-covered candles cast light across the scene, and van Schendel masterfully distinguishes between these two light sources—the moon's silvery radiance contrasting with the fiery brilliance of the candles. The young mother at the center of the work is bathed in warmth as she calmly gazes at the viewer, beckoning us into her world.

Created in 1847 at the height of his international acclaim, this exceptional work was exhibited at the Royal Academy London in 1847 and was recorded in van Schendel's log books as selling for an impressive 7,000 francs. This was an astonishing sum for the time, far surpassing the annual income of most skilled tradesmen, which was around 350 francs. What's more, van Schendel's books tell us that he earned a total of 17,748 francs in 1847, meaning this incredible painting accounted for almost 40% of his annual salary that year. This remarkable financial success reflects the painting's extraordinary quality and the artist's rising status among Europe's wealthy collectors, particularly the emergent Belgian elite who favored Romantic masterworks like this one.

Born in the Netherlands, van Schendel was a student and exhibitor at the Antwerp Academy between 1822 and 1828, beginning his career as a successful 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 that earned him widespread acclaim.

Van Schendel exhibited at the Salons in Amsterdam, Antwerp and Den Haag between 1827 and 1867, with exhibitions at the Salons in Brussels, Ghent 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, and his royal patrons included King Leopold I of Belgium and Willem II of the Netherlands. Today Van Schendel's work appears in the permanent collections of the Belgian Royal Museum, the National Gallery of Berlin, and the British Royal Collection Trust, among many others.

Dated 1847

Canvas: 34" high x 45 1/2" wide (86.36 x 115.57 cm)
Frame: 42" high x 53 1/2" wide x 3 1/2" deep (106.68 x 135.89 x 8.89 cm)

Provenance:
D.E. Schunk
Sale, Christie’s, London, (date not known) lot 65
Sale, Christie’s, Amsterdam, 31 October 1989, lot 117
With Richard Green, Ltd., London
Private Collection, The Netherlands, acquired from the above
M.S. Rau, New Orleans

Exhibited:
London, Royal Academy Exhibition, 1847, no. 657, p. 29 (as "A Dutch market–with effects of candlelight and moonlight")