The Thunderstorm 1843
johannestavenraat
abstract painting
fantasy art
impressionist painting style
possibly oil pastel
fluid art
underpainting
painting painterly
watercolour bleed
watercolour illustration
watercolor
"The Thunderstorm" by Johannes Tavenraat is a 19th-century oil painting that captures the dramatic moment of a thunderstorm in a landscape. The painting is dominated by dark, swirling clouds and lightning bolts that illuminate the sky. In the foreground, a lone tree stands resiliently against the storm's fury, its branches reaching out like arms. A small animal in the lower right corner appears to seek shelter under the tree, adding a sense of vulnerability to the scene. Tavenraat's use of light and shadow creates a powerful and evocative atmosphere, highlighting the raw power of nature. "The Thunderstorm" is a classic example of Romantic landscape painting, a genre that celebrated the sublime and awe-inspiring aspects of the natural world. It can be found at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Comments
The rapid, powerful brushwork of this landscape makes it look more like an oil sketch than a finished painting. As such, Tavenraat deviated from the path taken by most Dutch painters at the time. Instead of a smooth painting style and restrained sentiment, he opted for bright colours and dramatic effects of light and dark. His work thus more closely reflects international, mainly French, developments in Romantic painting.
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