… night with her train of stars, and her great gift of sleep…

Night with her Train of Stars (1912) is a watercolor painting by the British artist Edward Robert Hughes (1851-1914).

It was inspired by William Ernest Henley’s poem Margaritae Sorori:

A late lark twitters from the quiet skies:

Shadows rise. The lark sings on. The sun,

Thrills with a sense of the triumphing night

My task accomplish'd and the long day done,

 … night with her train of stars, and her great gift of

Summer Night (1926) was painted by the Austrian artist Georg Janny (1864-1935).

Janny combined two themes in his art. First, he painted fantasy scenes of rocky coasts and montain gorges, and he frequently included sirens and fairies in these landscapes. Second, he painted idyllic scenes of landscapes and buildings that he witnessed across Austria.

As you can see in the beautiful work, his specialty was to capture the beautiful atmosphere surrounding these buildings. He idealized the work by capturing it under the night sky, while the façade of the house is lit up by some gas lamps.

 Would you like to live in this house? Summer Night (1926)

These three works were painted by the British artist Walter Linsley Meegan (1859-1944), a student from John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893) who popularized these moonlit scenes of landscapes, harbors, and cities.

Grimshaw and Meegan painted very comparable nocturnal scenes, but the main difference today is that the works of Grimshaw go for 100 times the price of those of Meegan. The works you see here were sold for about $1000 to $1500.

Three works shows here are, from left to right:

3. The South Bay Scarborough from above the Spa

 The magic of the full moon. These three works were painted

May Night (1906) was painted by the American artist Willard Leroy Metcalf (1858-1925).

It shows the house of Florence Griswold in Old Lyme, Connecticut. And we can see the ethereally-dressed figure of Ms. Florence on the lawn in front of her monumental residence. She was the last surviving member of a wealthy local shipbuilding family, but her wealth was in decline. To manage financially, she had to rent out part of her house, and she decided to do that so several landscape artists, including Metcalf and Childe Hassam.

The Georgian-style home is shows during a Spring night, and the moonlight spreads nicely across the painting. If you look carefully, you can see how Ms. Florence is strolling towards a figure seated in between the monumental columns (which Metcalf painted a bit larger than they were in reality).

Metcalf wanted to give the painting to Ms. Florence, in exchange for room and board. And while she totally loved the painting, she could not accept it because of her financial issues, and she suggested him to exhibit the work in New York, where it would receive a lot of praise.

 How many people do you see? May Night (1906) was painted by

Ivan Aivazovksy was appointed as Professor of Seacape Painting at age 30.

And that does not surprise me when looking at Black Sea at Night (1879).

 Ivan Aivazovksy was appointed as Professor of Seacape

The Waking Moon (1891) was painted by the relatively unknown British artist Arthur John Black.

The moon is in a waxing crescent shape (meaning that tomorrow it will be a little bit bigger), and a nymph is sleeping inside it. The sunlight starts to slowly appear, meaning that the night is over, and it is time to wake up.

Until this morning I had never heard of Arthur John Black (1855-1936). He kind of has a typical painter's profile. He came from Nottingham in England, studies in Paris, and lived in London for most of his life. He painted in oils and watercolor, and if you look at the auction sites, a few of his works have sold over the last decade, all for very modest prices. In fact, The Waking Moon is his most expensive painting, and it sold for 6,300 GBP, which is just below $9,000 today.

 Are you a morning person or a night owl? The Waking Moon

The way Gerrit van Honthorst painted these nightly scenes earned him the nickname Gerard of the Nights.

Adoration of the Christ Child (c. 1620) is an example of his extreme light contrasts.

The scene takes place in the night, and at first it may seem logical than the moon is out providing us a glimpse at what is going on. But looking at the light a bit better, it seem that Baby Jesus is the light source, a symbolic reference to Jesus as the light of the world.

Admiring Baby Jesus are his mother, the Virgin Mary, Joseph, and two angels.

 The way Gerrit van Honthorst painted these nightly scenes

Jean Fouquet's Madonna from 1452 is surreal! Look at the fake breasts, small waist, and the bright blue and red angels representing day and night.

And this painting was commissioned for and hung in a French church.

 Jean Fouquet's Madonna from 1452 is surreal! Look at the

Venice is one of the most inspiring places for painters.

Venice by Moonlight (1869) was painted by the Norwegian Sophus Jacobsen.

And while he wasn't familiar with Impressionism when he painted this, I'm sure the Impressionists would have appreciated it. Jacobsen was primarily active in Dusseldorf, Germany where he studied with Hans Gude. But he did travel through Europe for inspiration. And the light, landscape, and architecture certainly inspired, as it did to many artists over time.

And while in France, the beginnings of Impressionism were developed in the 1860s, Jacobsen was not familiar with this grassroots movement yet. But if you compare this work to some of the views of Venice painted by Claude Monet 40 years later, you can already see some of the Impressionist touches and ideas in this work.

 Venice is one of the most inspiring places for painters

Some things just look better in the moonlight.

Scarborough by Moonlight (1898) was painted by Walter Linsley Meegan (1859-1944) in his hometown on the east coast of England. It shows the relatively calm harbor with its many boats and the city lights in the background.

Meegan is known for his moonlight and harbor scenes, and he was a student of John Atkison Grimshaw (1836-1893) who painted in a similar style.

Meegan's paintings go for fairly affordable prices, with many of them selling for fees between 1000 and 2000 USD.

 Some things just look better in the moonlight. Scarborough

Vincent van Gogh was deeply interested in how colors changed under different circumstances.

The Night Café is his study of how colors are distorted by artificial light during the night.

For example, he wrote that “the white clothing of the café owner, keeping watch in a corner of this furnace, becomes lemon yellow, pale and luminous green.”

 Vincent van Gogh was deeply interested in how colors

Lighthouse on a Cliff by Moonlight (1879) was painted by the German artist Hermann Eschke (1823-1900).

Eschke traveled all over Europe during his career as a freelance artist, finding the most beautiful rivers, lakes, and seas. He created a lot of sketches during his travel. And while Eschke occasionally painted his oil paintings en plein air (outside), he usually painted his oil paintings completely in his studio.

This beautiful scene of a lighthouse on the rocks under the moonlight is a great example of how he incorporated the weather circumstances and the light in his marine paintings.

 The beauty of the night. Lighthouse on a Cliff by Moonlight

So this is how the moon really looks like...

Selene (1880) is a painting by the eclectic French artist Albert Aublet (1851-1938).

It shows the pale-skinned goddess of the moon, Selene, floating in the sky. Selene has finished her job, as it is the end of the night. You can see the last stars fading, and the first pink/red clouds indicate that the sun is rising. She is floating above a landscape of icy waters and purple mountains and stretches herself one more time.

While Selene is part of several mythological (love) stories, this painting is not related to any specific one. It is just a fantasy painting and pose by Aublet, an artist who painted an incredibly wide variety of themes, and was similarly interested in all sorts of knowledge, literature, and traveling.

 So this is how the moon really looks like... Selene (1880)

Two Owls at Sunset shows a beautiful moment just before the night sets in.

It is painted by Martin Johnson Heade (1819-1904), an American artist who was very interested in colors, animals, and landscapes.

 Two Owls at Sunset shows a beautiful moment just before the

Do you sometimes watch the effects of the full moon?

Moonlit Night (1883) was created by the Finnish landscape painter Hjalmar Munsterhjelm (1840-1905).

These moonlight landscapes are the most appreciated works by Munsterhjelm, but he also painted many other beautiful landscapes scenes in Finland.

The moon, its interplay with the clouds, and its reflection on the water, create beautiful effects that many of us don’t get to see regularly. Maybe next time it is full moon, not very cloudy, and decent weather, I should go out and admire its beauty…

 Do you sometimes watch the effects of the full moon?

Cardiff Docks (1894) is wonderful combination of industrialization, light, and smokestacks.

The capital of Wales is painted by the American artist Lionel Walden and on display in the capital of France...

OK, he did live in each of those countries, so it is probably not that surprising.

 Cardiff Docks (1894) is wonderful combination of

When it's dusk, the "fireflies" come out...

Les Lucioles (the fireflies) was painted in 1896 by the French Academic artist Henri-Camille Danger.

It shows a forest at dusk filled with nymphs who we can identify by the radiating light around their heads. Every circle of light that you can see throughout the forest represents another nymph. They are organized in small groups and are holding hands, talking with each other, and other silly things that nymphs do when we are asleep and they are active in the forest.

Henri-Camille Danger (1857-1939) is one of the very many French Academic artists active around the turn of the 20th century. They actively submitted works to the Paris Salon, but many of those skilled artists have largely been forgotten now as they are just so many of them. But sometimes you come across a stunning artwork by some of them, and I certainly found this painting an outstanding work of art and imagination.

 When it's dusk, the "fireflies" come out... Les Lucioles

Nearing Home (1872) was painted by John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893), a British artist famous for his nocturnal scenes.

Grimshaw was a unique type of artist. He was entirely self taught, and he did not have the standard skills of a trained artist. For example, he was not very good with incorporating perspective, and he was not a great draughtsman. But he had a magnificent feel for colors and capturing light and shadow.

His colleagues did not always appreciate his work, because he supposedly used a camera obscura, a device that helped him to accurately draw the outline of his vistas, which helped to him to address his shortcomings. Some of his contemporary colleagues, however, thought that this was cheating and that his works could not be considered a real painting.

Grimshaw did not care much for these critiques and continued to paint beautiful nightscapes and townscapes. Nearing Home is a beautiful example of how he used light to create emotion into his work. You get the feeling that the two small figures in this painting are adorable. It looks to be an old lady, making a big effort to make a walk with her grand child (who in turn is amazed by the beautiful moonlight).

 Almost there. Nearing Home (1872) was painted by John

The Grand Canal at Moonlight shows the magic of Venice before the abundance of artificial gaslights.

It was painted by Friedrich Paul Nerly (1842-1919) who loved to painted city- and seascapes.

 The Grand Canal at Moonlight shows the magic of Venice

The Starry Night in the MoMA may be the most famous painting by Van Gogh.

However, he was not particularly impressed by it himself and only mentioned it briefly in a letter to his brother.

 The Starry Night in the MoMA may be the most famous

Cafe Terrace at Night shows Van Gogh's iconic blue night sky.

He also included the terrace of the "night cafe" where he stayed. This cafe was open all night and attracted poor and drunk people who did not have a place to sleep.

 Cafe Terrace at Night shows Van Gogh's iconic blue night

The light effects in A Boy Blowing on a Firebrand (1621-1622) are spectacular. Just look at the sparks emanating from the glowing ember.

It was painted by Gerrit van Honthorst, who earned the fitting nickname Gerrit of the Nights, because of this type of paintings.

 The light effects in A Boy Blowing on a Firebrand

The Night Escorted by the Geniuses of Study and Love (1885) was painted by the Brazilian artist Pedro Américo (1843-1905).

It shows the goddess Nyx, who was the Primordial Goddess of the Night in Greek mythology. She was also the goddess of the veil, fertility and prophecy. Her Roman Equivalent is Nox. At her feet, you can see an owl symbolizing the night.

She is floating through the air, with a full moon and the stars behind her. She is accompanied by two of her children (according to some mythological poems by Orpheus). One of them is the god of love, Eros. And I am not sure who the other is, but maybe some of you can help me here?

I could not find too many details about this wonderful work, so if you know more, let us know in the comments below. The original title of this work is A Noite e os Gênios do Estudo e do Amor.

 The goddess of the night. The Night Escorted by the

Forest Landscape in the Moonlight (1861) was painted by the German artist Georg Eduard Otto Saal (1817-1870).

Two deer are enjoying the peaceful night to have a drink at the small lake. The moon is lighting up the scene, though the deer would not need the additional moonlight to navigate through the forest during the night. The eyesight of some deer is about 50 times better during the night than human eyesight (even though their eyesight during the day is not great).

And did you know that deer can see at a 300-degree angle around without moving (this is only 120 degrees for humans). But better than their eyesight is their hearing, which is way superior to our hearing.

 All alone in the forest. Forest Landscape in the Moonlight

John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893) was specialized in painting city views during the night.

Shipping on the Clyde (1881) shows how good he was in capturing the weather and all the different light sources.

 John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893) was specialized in

Everything seems to look better in the moonlight!

Moonlight Serenade was made by Hans Zatzka (1859-1945), a fantasy painter from Austria. The colors, architecture, and music all make it feel like a wonderful dream.

And if you love music, Moonlight Serenade may remind you of the music of Glenn Miller who created the famous swing ballad with the same title. I can hear Frank Sinatra singing this song while looking at this painting..

 Everything seems to look better in the moonlight! Moonlight

Blackman Street, Borough, London (1885) was created by the 'Painter of Moonlight,' John Atkinson Grimshaw.

Grimshaw (1836-1895) specialized in painting nocturnal scenes of urban settings, and London was a perfect inspiration for him. Despite the late hour, Grimshaw captures the energy of the city, lit up by gaslights. And we can see the effects of the moonlight, even though the moon is hiding behind the buildings on the top left.

If you look carefully, you can see that the street is filled with people afoot or in carriages. The gaslights and the lights from the shop windows provide a romantic view of this London street at the end of the 19th century.

In the center, we can identify the Church of St. George the Martyr, a building that you can still find today in the historic Borough district of south London. And as a final fun fact, Charles Dickens used this area as the setting for his novel Little Dorit.

 A romantic view of London. Blackman Street, Borough, London

A mysterious scene from a beautiful opera.

The Hall of Stars in the Palace of The Queen of the Night was created by Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841).

This intriguing artwork was a design for The Magic Flute, an opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). It is specifically a design for Der Hölle Rache, an aria sung by the Queen of the Night in the second act of Mozart's opera. It is one of the most famous and recognizable opera arias (chances are that you recognize the music when you look it up). In this scene, the vengeful Queen of the Night persuades Prince Tamino to rescue her daughter Pamina from captivity under the high priest Sarastro.

The artwork shows the queen of the night in the clouds, where several people hold a large cloth filled with stars, and in the background are a lot of thin, scary characters.

The German text for the aria (called a libretto) was later written by Emanuel Schikaneder and here follows the English translation:

If Sarastro does not through you feel the pains of death,

Then you will be, no!, my daughter nevermore:

If not through you Sarastro will turn pale!

Hear, gods of revenge, hear the mother's oath!

 A mysterious scene from a beautiful opera. The Hall of

Summer Night (1925) by the American artist Aloys Bohnen (1889-1967) shows a gathering of people on a cool summer night in Southern California.

The scene is set around some tidepools formed in a eucalyptus grove. And the place is lit up by some orange paper lanterns, creating an artificial night sky. The people are dressed at their best for this gathering, and we can see the women wearing suits.

This painting is more about capturing a mood than trying to capture a detailed image of the gathering. But there is one woman who stands out a bit. In the center, we can see a lady in an orangey dress, looking over her shoulder. She seems somewhat hesitant and shy while she looks in our direction, as if she wants to tell us something.

 Longing for those cool summer nights. Summer Night (1925)

When the sun is gone and the moon rises..

Moonrise (1881) is a wonderful study of light by the Polish painter Stanisław Masłowski (1853-1926).

 When the sun is gone and the moon rises.. Moonrise (1881)

The combination of the gaslights and the rain, creates a romantic and mysterious atmosphere.

Paris at Night (1889) by Charles Courtney Curran captured the latest innovation of gaslights, which suddenly made the streets much safer at night.

 The combination of the gaslights and the rain, creates a

For centuries, the Orient has inspired artists to create fantasy paintings.

A Dance under the Stars by Hans Zatzka (1859-1945) is a great example of this. And just like many other artists that used this theme, Zatzka had never visited those areas, and just was inspired by poems and fairy tales about eastern cultures.