Axial Commons Image Treasury
Night painting of a tall fire column rising from a burning oil well, with a full moon, glowing red clouds, silhouetted trees, and small figures below.

Burning Oil Well at Night, near Rouseville, Pennsylvania

A tall column of fire shoots skyward from a burning oil well at night, lighting silhouetted trees, a full moon, and glowing red clouds above a dark landscape. Small figures and tents gather along the hillside below, while flames spread across the ground in this oil painting on paperboard.

Artist
James Hamilton
Date
ca. 1861
Medium
oil on paperboard
Source
Smithsonian (Smithsonian American Art Museum)
Size
2124 × 2880 px
Download full size
Public domain · Smithsonian (Smithsonian American Art Museum) releases this image under CC0 (latest date 1866).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (Smithsonian Open Access)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Español: Pozo petrolero en llamas de noche, cerca de Rouseville, Pensilvania

Una alta columna de fuego se eleva desde un pozo petrolero en llamas durante la noche, iluminando árboles siluetados, una luna llena y nubes rojizas brillantes sobre un paisaje oscuro. Pequeñas figuras y tiendas se agrupan en la ladera de abajo, mientras las llamas se extienden por el suelo en esta pintura al óleo sobre cartón.

Português: Poço de petróleo em chamas à noite, perto de Rouseville, Pensilvânia

Uma alta coluna de fogo sobe de um poço de petróleo em chamas durante a noite, iluminando árvores silhuetadas, uma lua cheia e nuvens avermelhadas acima de uma paisagem escura. Pequenas figuras e tendas reúnem-se na encosta abaixo, enquanto as chamas se espalham pelo chão nesta pintura a óleo sobre papelão.

Night and DreamsVolcanoes, Fire and Disastersburning oil wellnight landscapeoil firerouseville pennsylvaniajames hamilton1860s paintingmoonfiresilhouetted treesamerican landscapeoil paintdisaster scene

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