There is a timelessness to the subject of the night, one that spans decades, cultures, and artistic trends. Yet there is also a sense of unease, or of a looming threat lurking beneath the surface. There is something mysterious and unnerving about the dark cloak of night concealing that which doesn’t wish to be seen. 

The nighttime has long inspired artists of all disciplines, who use our apprehension of the dark unknown to their advantage. For them, it’s the perfect backdrop for depicting unsettling themes, creating mystery, and setting a mood. Some of the themes that artists explore in their night works include solitude, mythology, nightlife, and the outdoors, among others.

Night paintings are often called “nocturnes,” a term originally applied to certain types of musical compositions before artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler began using the word within the titles of his works. Whistler titled works as such to distinguish those paintings with a "dreamy, pensive mood" and to emphasize the overall feeling of the work rather than its narrative. 

Artists use the dim and mysterious lighting of nighttime to their advantage, illustrating the illuminating effects of the light’s reflection on their subjects. By ‘shining a light’ on certain elements in a painting, and leaving other elements in darkness, a story is constructed and symbolic effects are created. The darkness of night can make the inclusion of light more noticeable and appealing, for instance with the reflections on water and the neon lights of city signs. 

Whether inspired by the artistic potential for rendering subjects at night, or drawn to understand its many mysterious elements, artists have long found their voice in the dark, and have used their creativity to guide them. The works featured in Night Visions will reflect the broad range of subject matters that attracted artists to night scenes — including the surreal, city nightlife, restful respite, and loneliness/isolation. From the CMA Collection, experience artistic visions of the night in American art from our collection. 

Images in order from top of page to bottom:

Noel Mahaffey, Night - Times Square (detail)

Joseph Raffael, Night Sky FIsh

Will Barnet, Emily Dickens

William Gropper, The Headless Horseman

Noel Mahaffey, Night - Times Square

Francisco Zuniga, Untitled