A Rainy Night, Madison Square

Charles Frederick William Mielatz

National Gallery of Art

The image shows a nighttime urban scene from a street-level perspective. The horizon is implied by distant buildings and streetcars above reflections on wet pavement. Buildings are outlined with a larger shadowed building in the center. Brushstrokes create a sense of blurred motion and mist with diagonal rain-like strokes. The color palette is mostly monochromatic, with shades of charcoal and black. Reflections show limited light sources like street lamps and signs. In the distance, figures with umbrellas and horse-drawn carriages provide scale and life to the scene.