Fire

Painting

-

Calvin University Center Art Gallery

The image depicts a vivid and dynamic artistic representation of flames, with swirls and curves of predominantly orange and red hues, creating an energetic and vibrant composition that captures the essence of fire's movement and intensity against a contrasting and soft blue background.

The image depicts a vivid and dynamic artistic representation of flames, with swirls and curves of predominantly orange and red hues, creating an energetic and vibrant composition that captures the essence of fire's movement and intensity against a contrasting and soft blue background.

Name/Title

Fire

Entry/Object ID

2004.1.4

Description

Red stylistic rendering of a plume of fire, bearing resemblance to a bush.

Type of Painting

Panel

Artwork Details

Medium

oil with silver and gold foil

Category

Calvin Faculty Artist, Alumni Artist, On-Display at Calvin University, Plants and Nature

Made/Created

Artist

Edgar G. Boevé

Date made

1989

Dimensions

Dimension Description

image size

Height

40 in

Width

30 in

Dimension Description

frame size

Height

41-3/4 in

Width

31-3/4 in

General Notes

Note

Expanded Wall Label: This series of four paintings depict the four classical elements that Greek philosopher Empedocles of Sicily (490-430BC) proposed all matter is made of. His theory was endorsed and developed by Aristotle, and became the basis for Western thinking about the natural world until the rise of modern science in the 17th century. In 1989, Roger Brummel, of the Parke-Davis Holland Chemical Development facility (now Pfizer Inc.) commissioned Edgar G. Boevé (Professor of Art, Calvin University) to create artwork for the company’s facility. Boevé suggested the four Greek elements as a reference to the origins of modern science, and created them using oil paints with silver and gold foil. In the spring of 2004, Pfizer closed their research and development facility in Holland, Michigan. The company generously donated numerous pieces of scientific equipment to Calvin’s Chemistry Department and these paintings as well.