A Waterfall, Moonlight

This painting was shown at the National Academy of Design exhibition in 1886 and is a fine example of Blakelock's mature painting style. Although it features elements that are typical of the artist's style--generalized and silhouetted forms, glowing moonlight, and thick paint--it is particularly strong and subtle in comparison. The foliage that frames the edge of the canvas echoes the irregular contours of the tree so much that the forms seem almost able to interlock. The brushwork is varied with pigment loosely appled to create a richly colored surface, especially in the boundary between the light sky and the dark leaves.

Credit: Bequest of Eda K. Loeb, 1952