Storm Katie hit our shores at the weekend with gusts of wind in excess of 100 mph . It was, apparently, the 11th named storm of the season, causing disruption across much of England in the Easter holiday.
This poor French girl hurrying barefoot along the coastal path, trying to escape the impending squall , is a very moody and powerful picture.
- Auguste Piron 1816-1895
- The Gathering Storm
- Oil on panel
- Signed and dated 1857
- Beautiful heavy gilt frame
- 47cm x 36 cm
We are a nation obsessed by the vagaries of the English weather. We are bombarded with constant weather forecasts on all the media and it is our favourite topic of conversation, especially with strangers, when we struggle with anything else.
John Constable famously studied meteorology. He analysed weather patterns and studied cloud formations on Hampstead Heath, Salisbury and Suffolk where he painted. This had a very dramatic effect on the light and colour of his skies. JMW Turner said the infinite variability of English weather was prime subject matter for artists.( credit : JMW Turner ). He created powerful, energetic paintings of storms and soft ethereal misty landscapes by turn.
Here are three examples of famous paintings of Storms; all very different but equally spectacular.
The Storm – Pierre-Auguste Cot http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435997
Ship in a Storm – Joseph Mallord William Turner http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/T05726
The Challenge: A Bull in a Storm on a Moor – David Cox http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O16381/the-challenge-a-bull-in-watercolour-david-cox/