Boschbrand (Forest Fire)

In this dramatic composition, animals flee from a forest fire to the edge of a cliff. The forms of the anguished animals dominate the composition but its focal point rests on a roaring tiger. The tiger looks straight at the viewer, suspended at the very moment before it plunges off the edge. Forest Fire was created at the peak of Raden Saleh’s success in Europe. Originally from Semarang, Central Java, Raden Saleh travelled to Europe when he was about 18 years old and lived there for more than 20 years. He studied painting in the studios of two Dutch painters and developed a considerable reputation in his own right, showing his work in prestigious exhibitions and attracting the patronage of the aristocracy. This is Raden Saleh’s largest known work and its scale reflects his ambitions as a painter. The painting shows the influence of the 19th century European fashion for exotic subjects and images of the brutality of nature, which Raden Saleh has represented in a Javanese setting. This canvas was presented to King William III of the Netherlands in 1850. The following year, Raden Saleh was given the official title of “King's Painter”. In the prejudiced environment of the 19th century, it was highly significant for a painter from the colonies to achieve this level of recognition in Europe.