Artwork
Copenhagen Harbor by Moonlight
Copenhagen Harbor by Moonlight is an oil painting by the German Romanticist artist Johan Christian Dahl. It dates from 1846 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows Copenhagen's harbor at night, centered on Larsens Plads and illuminated by a prominent moon, with a small boat anchored in the water.
The painting shows Copenhagen's harbor at night, centered on Larsens Plads and illuminated by a prominent moon, with a small boat anchored in the water. The scene combines the urban waterfront with natural nightlight to emphasize the city's maritime character. Nocturnal harbor scenes such as this emphasize atmospheric effects, using moonlight to reveal the textures of water and sky while suggesting the quiet vitality of the harbor after dark.
Executed in oil on canvas in 1846, the work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
Technique & Style
The painting Copenhagen Harbor by Moonlight is an oil on canvas work measuring approximately 95.9 cm in height by 154 cm in width, executed in 1846. Its support is canvas and the medium is oil paint. The composition depicts the Copenhagen waterfront at night, featuring a boat and the moon.
Formal qualities include a muted nocturnal palette, atmospheric rendering of moonlight on water, and a balanced arrangement of architectural and maritime elements characteristic of Johan Christian Dahl's romantic landscape style.
History & Provenance
Copenhagen Harbor by Moonlight was created by Johan Christian Dahl in 1846, executed in oil on canvas. The work is the second of at least two nocturnal harbor views Dahl made of Copenhagen, following an earlier treatment of the same subject. This 1846 canvas, measuring 95.9 by 154 centimeters, depicts Larsens Plads, a prominent waterfront area in the city.
The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been exhibited as part of the show Det nære og det opphøyde.
Overview
Johan Christian Dahl, a Norwegian painter, created Copenhagen Harbor by Moonlight in the mid-19th century. This oil on canvas depicts a nocturnal view of the Copenhagen waterfront, capturing its serene atmosphere under a pale moon. The artwork is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Johan Christian Claussen Dahl (24 February 1788 – 14 October 1857), often known as J.
