Great Silas at Night

Robert C. Minor, Great Silas at Night, 1890, oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1909.7.48
Robert C. Minor, Great Silas at Night, 1890, oil on paperboard, 1620 in. (40.750.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1909.7.48
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Artwork Details

Title
Great Silas at Night
Date
1890
Dimensions
1620 in. (40.750.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of William T. Evans
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on paperboard
Classifications
Subjects
  • Waterscape — time — night
  • Landscape — rocks
  • Waterscape — coast
  • Waterscape — sea
Object Number
1909.7.48

Artwork Description

In Great Silas at Night, Robert Minor created a small yet dramatic nighttime image of waves crashing against the rocks. Minor was living in Greenwich Village in 1890, and this may be a view of the New York or Connecticut coastline. A pinpoint of light from a lighthouse is just visible in the distance, emphasizing the scale of the waves and the potential danger that faced ships sailing off the coast.

Works by this artist (3 items)

Robert C. Minor, Great Silas at Night, 1890, oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1909.7.48
Great Silas at Night
Date1890
oil on paperboard
On view
Robert C. Minor, A Hillside Pasture, n.d., oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1909.7.47
A Hillside Pasture
Daten.d.
oil on canvas
Not on view
Robert C. Minor, October, n.d., oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Martha L. Loomis, 1953.3.7
October
Daten.d.
oil on paperboard
Not on view

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