Light Study

  • Fireside Candlelight (1903)

    Fireside Candlelight (1903)

    Adam Emory Albright (American, 1862–1957)

    Soft candlelight flickers across the room, casting warm pools on the floor. A fire crackles nearby, its glow mingling with the dancing shadows. The scene feels intimate, like a quiet moment stolen from time—just the hush of flames and the gentle play of light on worn wooden boards.

  • The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame (circa 1635-37)

    The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame (circa 1635-37)

    Georges de La Tour (French, unknown)

    A lone woman sits in shadow, her face lit by a single flame. The flickering light catches the curve of her skull, the folds of her robe, the stillness of her hands. A mirror lies facedown beside her. The air feels thick with quiet contemplation, the flame’s glow both intimate and isolating.

  • Kitty by firelight (c. 1897)

    Kitty by firelight (c. 1897)

    James Jebusa Shannon (American, 1862–1923)

    A cat’s eyes gleam in the firelight, fur glowing warm against the dark. The flames flicker, casting shifting shadows across its face—quiet, watchful, alive in the dim glow.

  • The Repentant Magdalen (c. 1635-1640)

    The Repentant Magdalen (c. 1635-1640)

    Georges de La Tour (French, unknown)

    A single candle flickers in the dark, casting soft light on Mary Magdalene’s bowed head. Her hands rest on a skull, its hollow gaze mirroring her quiet sorrow. The flame’s glow licks at the edges of the frame, leaving the rest swallowed by shadow—a moment suspended between penance and peace.

  • Madame Monet Embroidering (Camille au métier) (1875)

    Madame Monet Embroidering (Camille au métier) (1875)

    Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926)

    A luminous portrait of quiet domesticity, where light and fabric intertwine in Monet’s tender depiction of his wife at work.

  • Haystacks, end of Summer (1891)

    Haystacks, end of Summer (1891)

    Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926)

    A luminous study of haystacks glowing under summer light, where brushstrokes dissolve into pure atmosphere.

  • Bassin d’Argenteuil (circa 1872)

    Bassin d’Argenteuil (circa 1872)

    Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926)

    A vibrant Impressionist scene where light fractures on water, turning sailboats and riverside life into a dance of color.

  • Flora Priestley (Lamplight Study)

    Flora Priestley (Lamplight Study)

    John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925)

    A luminous portrait bathed in lamplight, blending realism with impressionistic energy to evoke quiet introspection.

  • Camp Fire (1880)

    Camp Fire (1880)

    Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910)

    A flickering campfire lights up the night, casting shadows on two figures lost in the quiet embrace of the wilderness.