John Hilling

British, 1822 - 1894

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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.
John Hilling, Burning of Old South Church, Bath, Maine, c. 1854, oil on canvas, Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1958.9.7

Burning of Old South Church, Bath, Maine

John Hilling · c. 1854 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1958.9.7

Bibliography

1890

  • Hilling, John. "Reminiscences." Bath Daily Times, 16 January 1890: 2.

1894

  • Obituary of John Hilling. Bath Daily Times, 15 August 1894.

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.