Farm in Moonlight

Art Historical Context

**Farm in Moonlight** (1938) by Daniel Koerner the serene mystery of a rural night scene in gouache on paper board, measuring 18 × 20 inches. This intimate landscape, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Modern and Contemporary Art Departmentclassified as a drawing), the quiet beauty of American farms bathed in soft moonlight. Gouache, an opaque watercolor medium prized for its vibrant, matte finish and luminous effects, allows Koerner to render glowing moon, shadowy fields, and distant structures with a dreamlike intensity, blending realism with subtle atmospheric magic. Created during the Great Depression, the work was produced under the New York City Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.), a New Deal program that employed thousands of artists to document everyday American life and foster cultural recovery. Gifted to the Met in 1943, it reflects the W.P.A.'s emphasis on regional scenes, celebrating the resilience of rural America amid economic hardship. Koerner's piece stands as a poignant snapshot of 1930s optimism, inviting viewers to ponder the enduring poetry of the countryside after dark.

About the Artist

Daniel Koerner · 1909–1977

American, New York 1909–1977 New York