The Magic of Candlelight in Petrus van Schendel’s Market Scene

In this post we will explore Petrus van Schendel’s “Market by Candlelight” (1865), a striking nocturnal painting that captures the magic of night markets, and discover the use of chiaroscuro, candlelight, and romanticism in this Dutch-Belgian masterpiece.

Petrus van Schendel, Market by Candlelight, 1865

The paintings of the Dutch-Belgian genre painter Petrus van Schendel have that similar nocturnal, atmospheric quality that the paintings of the British nocturne master John Atkinson Grimshaw have and that is why they are so interesting to me at the moment. Van Schendel almost exclusively painted night scenes and his particular specialty was market scenes which is a bit odd as I would assume that markets would be closed by dusk, but apparently not, or perhaps darkness fell earlier on autumn or winter days and that is what Van Schendel portrayed. Anyhow, the painting that I have chosen for today is my particular favourite; “Market by Candlelight”, painted in 1865. It is so visually striking and alluring, isn’t it? The painting shows a market at night and the central figure of the painting is that of a young woman who is carrying two baskets of oranges on a shoulder yoke. Dressed in simple, earthy tones, a brown dress and an untied white cap on her head, she stands out against the dark background. With one hand on her hip she is observing the market scene but it seems as if she were gazing directly at us. A curious sort of gaze in her eyes. One cannot tell what she is thinking. Is it sadness, fatigue, disappointment…? Did she sell enough for today, does her back ache? On a little table to her right and in a big basket on the floor are more fruits and vegetables; turnips, apples, oranges, onion, cabbage… Whatever you want, she has it! The price… well, we can talk…

On the small table beside her, more fruits and vegetables—turnips, apples, oranges, onions, and cabbage—are neatly arranged. A single candle burns brightly on the table, casting a magical, almost ethereal glow around it, highlighting the woman’s face and the objects surrounding her. The chiaroscuro technique—playing with light and shadow—brings to mind the seventeenth-century Dutch masters and the works of Caravaggio, known for their dramatic use of light and an enhanced emotional depth. The more shadowy the night market scene becomes, the more vivid the candlelight appears, cutting through the darkness and creating a sense of mystery. In the background, other buyers and sellers are depicted as shadowy figures, their faces hidden, giving the entire scene an air of romanticism. We have another interesting little detail on the right there is a woman-seller with a hand outstretched, clearly wanting money, but the customer-woman has her hands on her stomach and doesn’t seem to be committed to making a purchase.

There is a certain romantic quality to this market scene, as though the hustle and bustle of modernity and industrialization have not yet reached this world. The market, bathed in the warm glow of candlelight, feels timeless—anchored in a more primitive, almost sacred past. The soft light of the candle, so intimate and warm, contrasts sharply with the cold, utilitarian glow of modern electric lights or light bulbs, which lack the same aura of reverence and nostalgia.