Burning of Old South Church, Bath, Maine

c. 1854

John Hilling

Associated Names
John Hilling

Painter, British, 1822 - 1894

The painting depicts a burning building. The large white building is in the center of the painting, and it faces the right, with two rows of windows, a black roof, and a large tower with a clock. Bright orange and red flames pour out of the windows and doorways, and the fire stretches upwards towards the tower. Dark gray smoke and orange sparks surround the building, filling up the right side of the painting. On the dirt ground around the building, crowds of small people in dark coats and hats gather and point towards the fire. One person near us holds an American flag. Behind the burning building, smaller buildings and trees are visible, and the cloudy sky above appears lit by a crescent moon in a small circle of light blue.

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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Recorded as from Maine. Purchased in 1948 by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch; gift to NGA, 1958.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1954

  • American Primitive Painting, traveling exhibition by the Smithsonian Inst. for the U.S. Information Service, Washington, 1954-1955, no. 71, as artist unkown. First venue: Kunstmuseum, Luncerne, Switzerland.

1957

  • American Primitive Paintings from the Collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, Part II, National Gallery of Art, Washingotn, 1954, no. 92, as artist unknown.

  • American Primitive Paintings from the Collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, Part II, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1954, no. 92, as artist unknown.

1958

  • American Primitive Paintings from the Collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, Springfield Art Museum, Missouri, 1958, no cat.

1962

  • Exhibition of Early American Art, Academy of the Arts, Talbot County Historical Society, Easton, Maryland, 1962, no. 36, as artist unkown.

1963

  • Maine and Its Artists 1710-1963, Colby College Art Museum, Waterville, Maine; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1963-1964, no. 8, as artist unkown.

1968

  • The American Primitive Paintings Exhibit, organized by the Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, California, for de Saisset Art Gallery, University of Santa Clara, 1968.

1978

  • The American Folk Art Tradition: Paintings from the Garbisch Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1978.

1997

  • Loan for display with permanent collection, South Texas Institute for the Arts, Corpus Christi, 1997.

Bibliography

1970

  • American Paintings and Sculpture: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1970: 130, repro.

1980

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1980: 268, repro.

1992

  • Chotner, Deborah, with contributions by Julie Aronson, Sarah D. Cash, and Laurie Weitzenkorn. American Naive Paintings. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1992: 198-200, color repro. 199.

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 203, repro.

Wikidata ID

Q20188049

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