Walter Joseph Phillips, Summer Night presents a serene, atmospheric landscape shaped by restraint and quiet observation. On the left, a grouping of tall trees rises in deep indigo silhouettes, their angular branches and irregular foliage forming a strong vertical mass that anchors the composition. These dark forms contrast with the softly banded expanse of sky and distant water, which stretch horizontally across the scene in pale, cool tones.

The gently sloping foreground is simplified into broad washes of blue and muted earth colours, suggesting grass and shoreline rather than describing them in detail. To the right, two small figures—a woman and a child—stand near the water’s edge. Their modest scale and minimal modelling emphasise the vastness and stillness of the surrounding landscape, reinforcing a sense of quiet companionship rather than narrative.

A fine, speckled texture across the surface suggests evening light, insects, or atmospheric shimmer, lending the scene a hushed, dreamlike quality. In Summer Night, Phillips balances bold, graphic silhouettes with subtle tonal gradations to evoke calm, reflection, and the gentle pause of twilight at the close of a warm day.