Zware brand van Hilversum, 25 juni 1766 Possibly 1766 - 1801

Curator: Here we have Jacobus Buys' "The Great Fire of Hilversum, 25 June 1766," created sometime between then and the turn of the century. It's an ink drawing on paper, currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. Quite dramatic, isn't it? Editor: Oh, dramatically unsettling, I'd say. The starkness of the ink really amplifies the chaos. The monochrome palette evokes ashes, doesn’t it? An entire community displaced, centered by this enormous towering inferno consuming a church. Curator: Exactly. The fire serves as this dreadful focal point, highlighting both the destructive power and the social rupture, because a church means more than religion, it’s like the place that gives life some order. Beyond that literal portrayal, fire in art has always signified transformation, right? Editor: Precisely. Purification, destruction, rebirth. All potent symbols deeply embedded in our collective consciousness. In this context, though, given the obvious suffering on display, it speaks more directly to disruption. It highlights this shattering of their community structure, of course. What hits me the most is not only the fear on their faces but how aimlessly people are wandering around; what would you grab? What can be saved? Is it worth the risks? Curator: He certainly captured a sense of immediacy. The urgency is palpable, from the running figures to those frozen in shock, the smoke billowing upward like some angry god… Editor: It's also interesting how he juxtaposes the traditional imagery of the village, even the genre painting details of daily life like children playing near the wagons. This hints to their lost sense of security, of community, but by painting in that detail, he adds an unexpected feeling, like something important has just disappeared. Curator: And that contrast sharpens the blow, wouldn’t you say? Like a knife to butter. The artist isn't just showing the event; he's also capturing the *feeling* of the loss. As it hits me hard too, what do you do when the place you call home turns into ashes. Editor: Well, it forces a reckoning, doesn't it? It underscores the fragility of our structures, both physical and social. It asks us to consider what truly endures when all else is consumed. We rebuild, sure. We endure. Curator: Always. Editor: It’s somber work. I am in deep reflection on those things that have permanence beyond brick and mortar. Thank you for walking me through this today.