Artwork
Midnight
Midnight is an oil painting by Alexander Shilling. It dates from 1930 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Midnight is an oil painting executed on canvas, a medium and support combination typical of early 20th-century easel painting.
Midnight is an oil painting executed on canvas, a medium and support combination typical of early 20th-century easel painting. The work measures 46.7 cm in height by 62.2 cm in width, producing a horizontal landscape format. Its subject matter is a landscape featuring a tree, a compositional choice that situates the work within the tradition of landscape painting rather than figural or abstract genres.
History & Provenance
Alexander Shilling's 1930 oil painting Midnight is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, measuring 46.7 cm in height and 62.2 cm in width, depicts a landscape featuring a tree. The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor do they document any exhibition history.
Overview
Created in 1930, this oil work by Alexander Shilling portrays a nocturnal landscape dominated by three slender trees rising from a field. The composition is set against a dark, nearly gray sky, illuminated faintly by a waning moon that casts a subtle glow over the scene. The overall tone is somber, emphasizing the quiet stillness of a midnight setting.
Subject & Meaning
The painting focuses on the interplay between the towering trees and the night sky, suggesting a contemplation of solitude and the passage of time. The central tree, slightly brighter than its companions, appears to catch the moon’s light, perhaps symbolizing a focal point of awareness amid surrounding darkness.
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