Storm 1859

James Ward painted ‘Storm’, showing a landscape under a dramatic sky, sometime in the early nineteenth century. The image hints at the sublime power of nature, a popular theme in British art of this period. Ward was a key figure in the development of Romantic painting in Britain. His art reflects the changing social and cultural attitudes of his time, as British society was rapidly changing due to industrialization. This painting is a nod to the beauty of the natural world, as well as the smallness of man as the figure travels the path with their belongings. To gain a deeper understanding of Ward's art, we can look to historical documents such as exhibition catalogs, letters, and critical reviews. These kinds of sources help contextualize the social and institutional world in which Ward was working. The meaning of art emerges from such historical contexts, and from the institutions that shape its production and reception.