Joseph Mallord William Turner
This is the first oil painting that the great English painter J.M.W. Turner exhibited at the Royal Academy. It is a moonlit scene in the tradition of Horace Vernet, Philip de Loutherbourg, and Joseph Wright of Derby. These painters were largely responsible for fueling the 18th-century vogue for nocturnal subjects. It juxtaposes the fragility of human life, represented by the small boat with its flickering lamp, and the sublime power of nature, represented by the dark clouded sky, the wide sea, and the threatening rocks in the background. The cold light of the Moon at night contrasts with the warmer glow of the fishermen's lantern. The jagged silhouettes on the left are the treacherous rocks called The Needles, off the Isle of Wight.
P.S. Here you can find more stunning depictions of the Moon painted by various famous artists!