Emptiness and silence pervade the shadowy yard in this strikingly large work. Describing similar nighttime scenes, Millet wanted viewers to “feel the splendors and the terrors of the night… hear the chants, the silences, the rustling of the air, to make them perceive the infinite.” A full moon casts an eerie glow, creating that mystical, and perhaps even menacing atmosphere. Deep in shadow, a black cat climbs the ladder leaning against the building at left.