Village Landscape by Moonlight

In the 1650s van der Neer began to specialise successfully in nocturnal landscapes in which the full moon not only served as a source of light but also became an important factor in creating the atmosphere. In this view of a village at night the painter introduces a further “warm” light source with the fire burning in front of the houses. The reddish flicker makes an attractive contrast to the cool moonlight. The coloration based on warm shades of brown lends this typical Dutch landscape a mysterious ambience.