Artwork
Midnight
Midnight is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Jean Charles Cazin. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Jean‑Charles Cazin’s 1896 oil painting titled Midnight depicts a tranquil nocturnal street scene. The work is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Its composition centers on a narrow canal flanked by stone façades, illuminated by a single warm glow that breaks the surrounding darkness.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas captures a quiet urban passage at night, where the muted architecture and dark sky are pierced by the amber light spilling from one window. The contrast between shadow and illumination suggests a moment of solitude and domestic comfort within an otherwise still, public space.
Technique & Style
Cazin employs a pronounced impasto, laying thick layers of paint especially on the stone walls and water surface. The textured brushwork creates a tactile quality, while the bold chiaroscuro of deep blues and blacks against the yellow light heightens the atmospheric tension of the scene.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1896, Midnight entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition (specific details of the purchase are not recorded in the available sources). Its presence in the museum’s collection situates the work within late‑19th‑century French landscape and urban painting traditions.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Charles Cazin was a French landscapist, museum curator and ceramicist.
