Harbor Night 1937

Charles Reiffel made "Harbor Night" with oil on canvas sometime in his career, capturing a waterside view of an industrial port city. The thick layers of paint and visible brushstrokes give the scene an almost palpable sense of texture and movement. Look at the way Reiffel uses a range of blues and greens to depict the water – it feels deep and alive. The buildings across the harbor are rendered with an almost impressionistic touch, their lights shimmering and reflecting in the water. It’s a masterclass in capturing the mood of a place. The way Reiffel applied the paint reminds me a little of some of Van Gogh’s landscapes, in the sense that he's not afraid to let the materiality of the paint be a prominent feature of the work. But where Van Gogh's paintings feel almost ecstatic, Reiffel creates a quieter, more introspective experience. Like all great art, this piece doesn’t give you easy answers.