Petrus van Schendel

Van Schendel brilliantly employed the ever-changing quality of light to reveal the world of the night. The artist is perhaps best recognized for works such as this intimate Night Market, where light sources of various strengths (a crackling lantern, a flickering candle, a smoldering fire, and a brilliant moon) spotlight the scene and allow the distinct architecture of Amsterdam to emerge from the darkness.  A bountiful display of vegetables is set in the center of the picture, the nubby textures of melons, the earthy orange of carrots, and rich leafy greens all ready to tantalize early shoppers who make market going a nightly ritual.  While a few male sellers are hidden in shadows, the scene is primarily populated by women, typically the most frequent market visitors, dressed in the costumes of maids, cooks, and other working women.  The candle light and moon glow spill over their focused expressions, which betray the weighty responsibility of choosing the most select, best-priced produce of the day. In blending an accurate observation of daily Amsterdam life with an evocative interplay of light and dark, van Schendel creates subtle yet theatrical elements of stage and mood.  The single lantern at the center of the scene throws warm rays up and out of the picture space, creating the same dramatic effect as a footlight on a theater's stage.  The moon lends a claire-obscure element to the painting, highlighting the buildings, yet unable to penetrate the darkened windows of sleeping inhabitants. Like all of van Schendel's masterpieces, The Night Market should not be viewed quickly, as the intimate scene slowly reveals itself from dark backgrounds, turning a bustling market into a more mysterious, nocturnal narrative.