Contemplating the Moon

    A father went overseas, and he told his daughter to look at the moon every night because no matter how far away he goes they will always be looking at the same moon. The moon is a common aspect of life for people across time and culture. It unifies. There is a commonality about its strangeness that ties everyone together. Its mystery evokes a longing in the individual that somehow comforts the soul. This orb of light in the darkness of night seems to understand our grief or our desire to reach the stars. No matter where we are, physically or emotionally, the moon will be there. These images explore the commonality of the moon and the shared experience it offers. It brings us together through mutual reflection or solitary observation.  Whether we access it through science, art, or religion, our innate connection to the moon ties individuals together.

Two Men Contemplating the Moon 

Caspar David Friedrich 

1830

Oil on canvas

13 3/4" x 17 1/4"  

MET: 2000.51

The two men in the painting commune over the visual delight of the moon at dusk. The softness of the sunlight reflecting off of the crescent moon illuminates the figures and nature in the painting. Historically, it is accepted that the two men in the painting are the artist himself and his younger friend, who died shortly after the work was completed. Understanding the intimacy of their friendship and their connection to the moon establishes an understanding of the moon’s unifying power. 

Rispah, 2nd Book of Samuel, Chapter 21 (Liber Studiorum, part IX, plate 46)

Joseph Mallord William Turner

1812

Etching and mezzotint; first state of four

plate: 7 1/8 x 10 3/8 in. (18.1 x 26.4 cm) sheet: 8 5/16 x 11 9/16 in. (21.1 x 29.4 cm)

MET:  28.97.46

Here the horrors depict the recounted actions in 2 Samuel 21 about King Saul’s concubine guarding the corpses of her sons. In this painting, the woman’s face is covered and unseen. The moon hangs high over the sky, watching over the grieving mother. This forlorn woman with her arm outstretched holding a torch reminds the viewer of the inextinguishable darkness she must be in. The brightness of the moon in the sky holds out some type of hope or comfort, but still remains cold and distant. 

Print

Utagawa Kunisada

Edo period (1615–1868)

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

14 3/16 in. × 10 in

MET: JP1092.22

The human connection to the moon is represented in this Japanese print. This figure is looking up from his work while the moon overlooks his activity. This image reminds us of the moon’s universal reality. The moon’s light reaches around the world, and serves us at different times. We may practice different rituals, but we share the same moon. She is always illustrious, allusive, and mesmerizing. She provides us some light for our secret deeds in the dead of night. 

Photo Moon Portrait 

Unknown 

1910-1930 

Gelatin silver print

 5 1/2 × 3 1/2 in

MET: not known 

In the early 20th century, America found a new fascination with the moon, becoming a symbol of innovation as technology advanced to teach us more about the stars. The hardworking American people resonated with the idea of “The stars are the limit.” Paper moons were used as photo backdrops around the United States, and there are many copies of couples, families, friends, children and the elderly posing with the moon. This portrait  of a black couple in the 1930’s stands out because at that time African Americans were not permitted to “reach for the stars.” There is a simultaneous hope and sadness in this visual historical paradox.

Buzz Aldrin on the Moon with Components of the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package

Neil Armstrong

1969

Chromogenic print

Image: 7 1/4 × 7 1/8 in. Sheet: 10 in. × 7 15/16 in. 

MET: 2016.796.21

The pinnacle of mankind’s love affair with the moon is the moon landing in 1969. This photo was taken by the first man to step on the moon. Looking at Buzz Aldrin from behind as he walks ahead feels like we are walking behind him, like we are on the moon with him. We see the moon in a different way when we are standing on it instead of looking up from earth. She is darker, colder, and bare. In the moon landing, did we gain something or have we stolen away some of her mystery?