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The North Cape by Moonlight

Peder Balke Norwegian
1848
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 807
Balke visited the North Cape only once, in 1832, but the experience became a touchstone of his imagination for the rest of his life. The tenebrous palette and expressive brushwork seen in this moonlit view are characteristic of Balke’s mature style, which stands in contrast to the more restrained naturalism of his mentor Johan Christian Dahl. When this painting (or another version) was exhibited in Oslo in the fall of 1848, a critic wrote that it "claims our interest, both for the nature of the subject itself and the singularity of the perception of the chosen moment."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The North Cape by Moonlight
  • Artist: Peder Balke (Norwegian, Helgøya, Nes 1804–1887 Oslo (Kristiania))
  • Date: 1848
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 24 7/16 x 33 7/16 in. (62 x 85 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Christen Sveaas, in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary, 2019
  • Object Number: 2019.167.4
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Ships in a Storm, Peder Balke Norwegian, Oil on wood
Returned to lender
Ships in a Storm
Peder Balke
1870s
The North Cape, Peder Balke Norwegian, Oil on paper, laid down on board
Returned to lender
The North Cape
Peder Balke
1853
The North Cape, Peder Balke Norwegian, Oil on canvas
Returned to lender
The North Cape
Peder Balke
1845
Seascape, Peder Balke Norwegian, Oil on canvas, mounted on masonite
Returned to lender
Seascape
Peder Balke
ca. 1845
Sea Fortress, Peder Balke Norwegian, Oil on canvas
Returned to lender
Sea Fortress
Peder Balke
1844

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