The image shows a head-on view of a rocky landscape at night under a glowing moon. The horizon is not clearly defined, focusing instead on the textures of the rocks and trees. Animals are gathered around figures, likely shepherds. The artwork uses detailed cross-hatching and stippling to depict shadows and textures. The color palette is monochromatic, with black, white, and grey contrasting the moonlit night setting. The artwork includes brushstrokes and etchings to represent trees and shadows on the rocks. The moon is prominently featured in the upper right corner, illuminating the scene.
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The image shows a head-on view of a rocky landscape at night under a glowing moon. The horizon is not clearly defined, focusing instead on the textures of the rocks and trees. Animals are gathered around figures, likely shepherds. The artwork uses detailed cross-hatching and stippling to depict shadows and textures. The color palette is monochromatic, with black, white, and grey contrasting the moonlit night setting. The artwork includes brushstrokes and etchings to represent trees and shadows on the rocks. The moon is prominently featured in the upper right corner, illuminating the scene.

National Gallery of Art · Print

A Night Robbery

Friedrich Müller

Date
1769
Medium
etching on wove paper
Dimensions
sheet: 32.3 × 43 cm (12 11/16 × 16 15/16 in.) (trimmed to plate mark)
Classification
Print
Accession number
2012.92.569
Credit line
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen
Time span
1751 to 1775
Department
CG-E

Subjects and terms

  • Horse
  • Moon
  • Rock
  • Nature
  • Figures
Provenance

(Dr. Markus Nass Kunsthandel, Berlin); Ruth Kainen, Washington, D.C., purchased January 30, 2002; Gift to NGA, 2012.

Inscription

below image, at left: Frid: Müller inv. et fec: 1769; on verso, at bottom right, in graphite: 99024

NGA object ID 153992. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.