Kings of the Night: Abraham and Sebastian Pether, the Masters of Landscapes in the Moonlight

May 6, 2022

Abraham Pether

Abraham Pether (1756 – 1812) was one of the foremost masters of night landscapes in 18th-century England, for which he even earned the nickname Moonlight.

He was not only an artist but also a scientist and inventor – he made microscopes and telescopes, the latter observing his beloved moon in order to portray its appearance and position as faithfully as possible in his paintings. Pether was generally attracted to the theme of light in darkness. In his works, the night is illuminated not only by the moon, but also by the flames of a fire, or even by the eruption of Vesuvius.

Unfortunately, Pether’s fame was moderate. The money from the sale of his paintings was barely enough to support his family of nine children. When Abraham died in 1812 after a lingering illness, the others had a hard time. But by that time some children had grown up, two of whom followed in their father’s footsteps. One of them, Sebastian, excelled at night landscapes as much as his father.

Abraham Pether

Sebastian Pether

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Kings of the Night: Abraham and Sebastian Pether, the Masters of Landscapes in the Moonlight