Artwork
Moonlight
Moonlight is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Ralph Albert Blakelock. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 68.74 × 94.14 cm. It depicts a nocturnal landscape featuring the moon, moonlight, a tree, sky, and horizon. No further details on brushwork, impasto, or condition are recorded in the available sources.
History & Provenance
It entered the museum's collection in 2015 after being acquired from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which had received it as a bequest from William A.
Ralph Albert Blakelock painted Moonlight in 1890. The painting was first purchased from the artist by Harry W. Watrous (1857–1940) of New York. In 1896, it was bought by collector William T. Evans (1843–1918), also of New York.
When Evans’ collection was sold in 1913, Moonlight was acquired by William A. Clark (1839–1925). Clark bequeathed the painting to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1926, where it remained until 2015, when the National Gallery of Art acquired it as part of a transfer of Corcoran holdings.
The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., with accession number NGA 2014.136.20. It entered the museum's collection in 2015 after being acquired from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which had received it as a bequest from William A. Clark in 1926. Earlier provenance traces through collector William T. Evans (purchased 1896) and Harry W. Watrous, who bought it directly from the artist. No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Moonlight is an oil on canvas painting that depicts a tranquil nocturnal landscape. The composition features a solitary tree illuminated by the moon, conveying a profound sense of stillness. This work exemplifies the artist's skill in evoking a distinct emotional atmosphere through seemingly straightforward imagery, inviting contemplation of the natural world at rest.
Subject & Meaning
The painting centers on a quiet evening, with a prominent tree silhouetted against the lunar glow. This minimalist approach to landscape art emphasizes the inherent serenity of the natural world after dark. The deliberate choice of a calm, unpopulated scene encourages viewers to experience a moment of quiet reflection, highlighting the subtle beauty found in nocturnal tranquility.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Ralph Albert Blakelock was a romanticist American painter known primarily for his landscape paintings related to the Tonalism movement.
