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
Copied Robert C. Minor, Great Silas at Night, 1890, oil on paperboard, 16 x 20 in. (40.7 x 50.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1909.7.48
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Great Silas at Night
Artist
Date
1890
Location
Dimensions
16 x 20 in. (40.7 x 50.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of William T. Evans
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on paperboard
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — rocks
  • Waterscape — time — night
  • Waterscape — coast
  • Waterscape — sea
Object Number
1909.7.48
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/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.