Blazing Fires

Blazing Fires: Treasures from the Rijksmuseum

Discover the meaning and impact of fire through the centuries in Blazing Fires. This touring exhibition presents a selection of over 30 paintings from the Rijksmuseum, each with its own story, and includes works by famous painters, including Jan Steen, Gerard Dou and Jozef Israëls.

Fire was once much more present in our lives than it is now. It first came to us as something inexplicable, but then became the engine of our civilisation. We looked for underground sources to make this fire ourselves, whether for use in a domestic setting, for our work or to destroy. Fire, neutral in itself, thus became a tool for humans, evoking strong feelings in us.

Focus on stories from Limburg

Blazing Fires was previously on display at the Markiezenhof, the Hannemahuis in Harlingen, Museum Zutphen and Museum Gouda. At the Limburgs Museum, we tell a completely unique Limburg story in the exhibition. We do so through three distinctive historical themes: Limburg pottery reflects Domestic Fire, the many city sieges Destructive Fire, and the mining industry represents Artisanal Fire. But of course, it all started in Limburg with the flint…

Painting: L17923. Venlo on 5 November 1944. Pie Schmitz (1946). Collection of the Limburgs Museum.

Publication

A publication will be released to coincide with Blazing Fires. In it, you will read about the works on display, authors from the M6 circle will tell stories about the history of artisanal fire in their city, and six Friends of the M6 museums will be interviewed. The Blazing Fires publication will be available in our museum shop from the start of the exhibition.