Seascape with Full Moon

Seascape with Full Moon from 1670 by Cuyp is a rare nocturnal marine subject for this painter typically associated with golden daylight. The moonlit seascape demonstrates his range and mastery of different lighting conditions. Cuyp worked primarily in Dordrecht throughout his career, and his paintings of the Dutch countryside—cattle in golden light, river views, and horsemen against luminous skies—established him as one of the most technically accomplished landscape painters of the Dutch Golden Age.

The moonlight creates cool, silvery effects quite different from Cuyp's usual warm tonality, the water reflecting the lunar illumination with subtle atmospheric sensitivity.