Nuit Effet de Lune by Félix Vallotton (Interpretation and Analysis)

Nuit Effet de Lune
Source: Wikimedia Commons

French painter Félix Vallotton is probably best known for his paintings of domestic life in nineteenth century Paris. While his interior scenes have been rightly praised, he also executed many fascinating landscapes throughout his career.

Vallotton took an unconventional approach to landscapes, painting from odd or unusual angles. He was known for throwing out the rule book when it came to these scenes, choosing instead to simplify such scenes into something that gave emotional resonance. Vallotton seemed to be particularly interested in the night sky, a subject he returned to several times throughout his artistic career.

Nuit Effet de Lune depicts a moonlit night sky filled with puffy, pillowy clouds. Dark trees are outlined against the sky. The composition of the scene suggests that it was painted from the point of view of someone laying on their back and looking up, perhaps a stargazer. The colors in the piece are extraordinary. The bright pinks and blues contrast marvelously with the black of the trees, an eye-catching palette.

Landscapes are normally structured in one of two ways: either from a bird’s eye perspective or a vertical design with the sky at the top of the scene and the land at the bottom. Nuit Effet de Lune disregards these rules by focusing the painting around the sky itself. As with all Vallotton’s work, his painting invites the viewer to challenge the way they see the world, which, after all, is what art is all about.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.