Artwork
Farm in Moonlight
Farm in Moonlight is an unspecified painting by the American Impressionist artist Daniel Koerner. It dates from 1938 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
History & Provenance
The painting remains a recognized example of Koerner's landscape output from that period, characterized by its depiction of rural elements under moonlight.
Daniel Koerner created the landscape painting Farm in Moonlight in 1938. The work depicts a nocturnal scene featuring a farm and the moon. It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
While the specific commission details and the full chain of ownership prior to its museum acquisition are not detailed in the available records, the work's inception is firmly dated to the year 1938. The painting remains a recognized example of Koerner's landscape output from that period, characterized by its depiction of rural elements under moonlight.
Context
Farm in Moonlight is a 1938 oil landscape by American artist Daniel Koerner, documented in both a curated corpus entry and the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Wikidata record. The work is classified as a painting and specifically as a landscape, depicting a nocturnal farm scene with a prominent moon. Its inclusion in the Met’s collection situates it within the museum’s broader holdings of early twentieth‑century American landscapes, reflecting Koerner’s focus on atmospheric rural subjects.
Scholarly references to the piece, such as its Wikidata entry, confirm its creation date of 1938‑01‑01 and its status as a recognized work within Koerner’s oeuvre, underscoring its relevance to studies of period landscape painting.
Overview
Daniel Koerner's painting, Farm in Moonlight, created in 1938, captures a nocturnal rural scene. This oil painting, now part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, depicts a tranquil farm under a luminous moon. The composition emphasizes the quiet solitude of the landscape, rendered through a careful balance of light and shadow, characteristic of the artist's approach to natural settings.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork presents a quiet farmstead at night, centered around a wooden house with a prominent silo behind it. A dirt path meanders through the foreground, leading past a solitary bench. Bare trees frame the scene, contributing to the stark, serene atmosphere.
The low-hanging moon dominates the sky, casting an ethereal glow that transforms the familiar farm into a contemplative nocturnal vista.
Technique & Style
Koerner employed a distinctive lighting technique to evoke the painting's peaceful mood. Deep shadows contrast with areas of soft illumination, a method akin to chiaroscuro, which enhances the dramatic effect. The moon's intense light selectively highlights the architectural forms of the house and silo, while the surrounding elements recede into profound darkness. This interplay of light and dark imbues the scene with a sense of quietude and depth.
Artist & collection
