Artwork
Summer Night
Summer Night is an unspecified painting by the Ukiyo-e artist Maruyama Ōkyo 円山応挙. It dates from 1792 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1792 by the Japanese artist Maruyama Ōkyo, this six‑panel painting titled Summer Night is part of the collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work presents a nocturnal landscape that balances darkness and light across its divided composition.
Subject & Meaning
The scene unfolds under a moonlit sky, with a clouded, somber left side contrasting a clearer, more tranquil right side. Trees and rolling hills occupy the foreground, while a distant body of water recedes into the night, evoking a sense of quiet contemplation.
Technique & Style
Ōkyo employs a muted palette ranging from deep blues and grays to soft browns and beiges, creating atmospheric depth. The division into six panels allows subtle shifts in tone, guiding the eye across the landscape and emphasizing the interplay of shadow and illumination.
History & Provenance
Since its completion in the late eighteenth century, Summer Night has remained in the public domain, eventually entering the holdings of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s Asian art collection.
Artist & collection
