At the fair

Petrus van Schendel was born as the son of Gijsbertus van Schendel and Geertruida Brox, in the village of Terheyden. After the death of his father, the family moved to Breda. In 1822, van Schendel moved to Antwerp, where he would live until 1828. Here, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, where he was awarded a Golden Medal for 'doorzichtkunde' (the use of perspective). From 1827 onwards, van Schendel frequently exhibited his work at several exhibitions, such as the 'Tentoonstelling van Levende meesters' in The Hague, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, and at the 'Driejaarlijkse Salons', or triennial salons, in Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent. After his education in Antwerp, van Schendel returned to live with his brother in Breda and Amsterdam until he met Elizabeth Grasveld, his first wife with whom he would have thirteen children. Elizabeth passed away in 1850, after which van Schendel re-married twice more and had two more children.

Van Schendel's paintings are particularly known for the artistry in his handling of artificial light. Careful positioning of the light source takes up a vital part in van Schendels so-called nocturnes, or candle- or moonlit scenes. In the present lot, an early work by the artist, the composition is filled with activity, from the trumpet playing figure in the foreground to the ‘quack-doctor’ figure in the background, and all are characteristically illuminated by various points of light which help to illuminate the busy fair below the moonlit sky.

We are grateful to Dr. Jan de Meere for his assistance in authenticating and cataloguing the present lot.