Artwork
The Evening Hour
The Evening Hour is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Peter Moran. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:upper right in plate: Copyrighted by Radtke, Lauckner & Co, N.Y. 1889.; lower left in plate: P. Moran; lower right in graphite: P. Moran
About this work
Overview
Peter Moran’s 1889 print, titled The Evening Hour, is an etching executed in black ink. The work presents a tranquil rural scene, rendered with a calm palette that emphasizes the subdued atmosphere of an early evening in the countryside.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on four cows gathered at a placid pond within a field, surrounded by tall trees and low shrubbery. Light clouds drift across the sky, while a few small birds glide nearby, together suggesting a moment of peaceful coexistence between livestock and their natural surroundings.
Technique & Style
Moran employs delicate, intersecting lines to delineate the texture of the cows’ coats and the rippling surface of the water. The fine linear work creates a realistic yet slightly ethereal quality, allowing the viewer to sense both the material presence of the scene and its quiet, dream‑like ambience.
History & Provenance
Created in 1889, The Evening Hour is part of Moran’s broader output of landscape and animal prints produced during the late nineteenth century. The etching has been documented in several collections of American printmaking, reflecting its place within Moran’s established reputation as a skilled etcher of rural subjects.
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