On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
The Hôtel-Dieu in Flames (recto); The Ruins of the Nun’s Building of the Hôtel-Dieu (verso)
Gabriel de Saint-Aubin French
Not on view
The Hôtel-Dieu, Paris’s oldest and largest hospital, was destroyed by fire during the night of December 29–30, 1772. The blaze quickly engulfed numerous buildings in the complex, which occupied a large property in the shadow of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Saint-Aubin lived nearby and almost certainly would have been among the onlookers.
Depicted in vivid color, the raging flames take on a visceral quality. Fourteen deaths resulted from the fire, but a quick and valiant response saved many lives. In Saint-Aubin’s image, we are presented with a calamity of awe-inspiring proportions but also many acts of bravery and fortitude.
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