Artwork
Windy Night, Stockholm
Windy Night, Stockholm is a print by Muirhead Bone. It dates from 1935 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
This painting depicts a nighttime scene of a city, with a large building on the left and a row of trees on the right.
This painting depicts a nighttime scene of a city, with a large building on the left and a row of trees on the right. The sky is dark, and the wind is blowing, causing the trees to lean to one side. In the foreground, there are several small boats on the water, their sails blown back by the wind.
The painting is done in a dark color palette, with shades of black and gray dominating the scene. The only light comes from the building on the left, which is illuminated by a faint glow.
The painting is a beautiful representation of a windy night in Stockholm. For more works by Muirhead Bone, look up the artist Muirhead Bone (British, 1876–1953).
Overview
Created in 1935, *Windy Night, Stockholm* is a print by Scottish artist Muirhead Bone, noted for his precise renderings of urban and industrial environments. The composition captures a nocturnal harbor scene under a dark sky, illuminated faintly by a single building on the left. The work belongs to the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents a quiet Stockholm waterfront at night, where a prominent structure glows softly against the gloom. A line of trees on the right bends under a strong breeze, and small vessels in the foreground show their sails pressed back by the wind. The atmosphere conveys the subtle tension between stillness and the unseen force of the gale.
Technique & Style
Executed as an etching, the piece employs a limited palette of deep blacks and muted grays, emphasizing tonal contrast rather than color. Bone’s fine line work delineates architectural detail and the movement of foliage, while the controlled use of light highlights the illuminated façade, a hallmark of his approach to industrial and architectural subjects.
History & Provenance
Muirhead Bone, a leading figure in the late Etching Revival, produced the work during a period when he was also active as a war artist for both World Wars. After its creation, the print entered the holdings of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains on view as part of their early‑20th‑century print collection.
Context
The print reflects Bone’s broader interest in the interplay of human‑made structures and natural forces, a theme that recurs throughout his career. By focusing on a windy night in a Scandinavian capital, the work extends his usual British industrial subjects to an international setting, illustrating his capacity to capture atmospheric conditions across diverse locales.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sir Muirhead Bone (23 March 1876 – 21 October 1953) was a Scottish etcher and watercolourist who became known for his depiction of industrial and architectural subjects and his work as a war artist in both the First and Second World Wars.
