Midsummer Moonrise

Dwight Tryon's painting marks summer's halfway point.

Known for his tranquil landscapes, Dwight Tryon was influenced by French painter Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot and American artist James McNeill Whistler.

Midsummer Moonrise is called a "tonalist" painting because it uses a limited color palette based on one key hue. These subtle colors are combined with vague, suggestive techniques—rather than detail—to evoke a poetic sense of moods or emotions.

Pictured: Dwight W. Tryon, 1849–1925, Midsummer Moonrise, 1892, oil on wood, 19 x 25 5/8 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of International Business Machines Corporation.