Moonlight 

Claude-Joseph Vernet painted this coastal scene in the 18th century, a time of increasing European maritime power. The scene depicts a bustling harbor, but under the cover of night. The moon, partially obscured by clouds, casts an ethereal glow on the water, while figures huddle around a fire on the shore. Vernet was known for his marine paintings, which often romanticized the sea and the activities associated with it. But this wasn't simply a celebration of maritime life, it also reflected the economic realities of the time, when ports were centers of both commerce and labor. Consider the institutional factors: Vernet's paintings were collected by wealthy patrons, often displayed in grand homes, and were sometimes made into prints, thus reflecting the importance of patronage and the art market in shaping artistic production. Paintings like this provide historians a window into the past, to better understand not just what people saw, but how they lived.