Thorvaldsen's Museum, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of Martinus Rørbye, 1981, no. M. 29.

Exhibited: Kunstforeningen, “Fortegnelse over M. Rørbyes arbejder”, 1905 no. 16. Kunstforeningen, “Arbejder af M. Rørbye”, 1930 no. 10.

Provenance: Presumably the artist's sister Emma Eulalia Mülensteth, née Rørbye. Her daughter Fernanda Riis, née Mühlensteth (1905). The collection of Consul General Valdemar Glückstadt, not his auctions in 1918 and 1923. Director Max Lester, his auction, Winkel & Magnussen 26, 1924 no. 126. Art dealer Martin Grosell (1930), his auctions, part II, Winkel & Magnussen 111, 1932 no. 148.

“Moonlight and sparks of fire occupied the painters of Rørbye's generation. From Dutch painters such as Aert van der Neer, whose paintings of moonlight and fire hung in the Royal Collection of Paintings at Christiansborg Palace, they learned to depict the rays of moonlight through the skies and the light's reflection in the water. They also felt attracted to the landscape perception of romanticists such as I.C. Dahl, who in painting after painting depicted the night atmosphere by moonlight.” (Thorvaldsen's Museum, “Martinus Rørbye”, 1981, p. 44).

In addition to the present painting, Rørbye has, among others, also painted two other moonlight paintings; “Signal Kanonen paa Citadelsvolden i Maaneskin” (The signal cannon on the Citadel Ramparts in moonlight) from 1828 (private collection) and “Citadelsvolden i Maaneskin” (View from the Citadel Ramparts in Copenhagen by Moonlight) from 1839 in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Inv. No. 2007.164.7).

The Skagen painter P.S. Krøyer (1851–1909) further developed the Danish Golden Age painters' fascination with the moonlight and, like them, he also stood out in the open air to capture the reflections of the moonlight in the sea on the canvas (see cat. no. 59).