Stormy Weather Possibly 1892

Curator: Leopold Rivers’ "Stormy Weather," housed here at the Tate, captures a rural scene on a canvas of about 55 by 77 centimeters. Look at those gathering clouds. Editor: There's a kind of melancholy beauty here, isn’t there? It's as though the sky is breathing—almost sighing—over the landscape. Curator: Rivers really emphasizes the materiality of rural life. The farmer and the horse labouring to bring the hay, under threat of that downpour. This speaks to the economic realities of farming. Editor: I can almost smell the damp earth and feel that looming storm on my skin. And those muted colors—the browns, grays, and blues—really intensify the atmosphere. Curator: Exactly. Think of the social context: late 19th-century England, industrialization, urbanization…Rivers is drawing attention to a way of life that was fast disappearing. Editor: It's a beautiful, somber reflection. I feel both grounded and a little untethered just looking at it. Thanks, Leopold, for reminding us that even storms have their own beauty. Curator: And a reminder that artistic vision is as much about the conditions of material life as it is about individual inspiration.