Join us for a moonlit encounter with Danish painter Laurits Tuxen’s Moonrise (1909) at this year’s Museum Night. Acquired earlier this year at TEFAF Maastricht – the internationally renowned fair for fine art, antiques and design –, this meditative painting will be showcased in an intimate, immersive setting designed to enhance its atmospheric qualities.

Aboard the steamer 

Painted from the stern of a steamer, Moonrise places the viewer aboard a vessel drifting through moonlit waters, where large, jagged shapes trace a shimmering trail beneath the rising moon. Thick, black plumes of smoke billow from the ship’s smokestacks into the night sky. In the upper right corner of the canvas, the faint silhouette of a sailing ship flickers with a few small, dancing lights. It’s unclear where the sea ends and the sky begins, the composition bordering on abstraction. 

The painter of this scene, Laurits Tuxen, had a particular interest in the effects of moonlight on water and land, the play of light and shadow and subjects whose painterly qualities allowed him to blur the boundaries of reality and imagination. He was renowned for his masterful use of light and colour, capturing both the grandeur and the quiet poetry of nature. Although his paintings of Skagen, the northernmost town in Denmark, date from the beginning of the 20th century, Tuxen is now recognised as part of the Skagen Painters, a group of artists who gathered in northern Denmark during the 1870s and 1880s. 

Moonrise is the first Danish landscape to enter Luxembourg’s national collection, joining works from Swedish and Irish schools to form a unique European ensemble. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the evocative power of Tuxen’s art in a setting that speaks to all the senses. 

Step into the scene 

The painting will be on show in a small, vaulted room affectionately known by museum staff as the Kapellchen (“little chapel”). Tucked behind the atrium, this intimate space lends itself well to the contemplative nature of Tuxen’s work. Subtle lighting, ambient soundscapes and discreet projections transform the space into a fragment of a nocturnal seascape, where sea and sky dissolve into abstraction. 

Designed by the creative agency Explose, the installation invites visitors to experience the painting’s dreamlike atmosphere, enhancing the sensory impact of the artwork. 

Beyond Moonrise, the space is set to become a dynamic venue for future alternative artistic projects. With its unique architecture and intimate scale, the space continues to offer new possibilities for engaging with art in unexpected ways. 

Text: Tania Brugnoni - Photos: Eric Chenal; Tom Lucas; Explose 

Source: MuseoMag N° IV - 2025 

Join us for Museum Night on Saturday 11 October and experience Tuxen’s Moonrise alongside many other surprises and performances. Pre-sale tickets available online at luxembourgticket.lu until 6 October and in all participating museums and at the Luxembourg City Tourist Office until 10 October. Tickets available in all participating museums on the evening itself too.