Climate and Seasons in Art

Climate and Seasons in Art
Changes in the climate have occurred throughout history, as have the four seasons. I will discuss how artists captured the essence of these natural phenomena.

Rembrandt's "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee" (1633) is also famous because it was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA in 1990 and remains missing. In this extraordinary painting with a rare self portrait of the artist, a wave crashes over the bow of the boat.

From the Japanese Ukiyo-e style painting, one of the most famous artists is Hokusai, and his work "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" (1831) from the series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" show a storm in the sea, with Mt. Fuji in the background.

British artist JMW Turner painted "The Slave Ship" (1840) as a typhoon 'allowed' the slavers to throw the dead and dying slaves overboard. Allegedly based on a true story. The supposed purpose of this dastardly deed was to collect insurance. It can be viewed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.

French Realist artist Gustave Caillebotte painted "Paris Street; Rainy Day" in 1877. It can be seen at the Art Institute of Chicago.

American artist Andrew Wyeth painted "Wind from the Sea" (1947) where a curtain blows in the wind from an open window. It can be found at the National Gallery, Washington, DC.

Autumn, a season of change, inspired many artists including Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens who painted "Abundance" (1630) with its fallen fruit, indicative of the season.

Thomas Cole who painted "View of the Catskill – Early Autumn" from 1836-1837.

French Impressionist Claude Monet painted "Autumn on the Seine at Argenteuil" in 1873.

Danish-French artist Camille Pissarro painted "The Harvest" in 1882. An apt subject for autumn.

Dutch Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh painted the same theme "The Harvest" in 1888.

American Abstract Impressionist artist Jackson Pollack painted "Autumn Rhythm" in 1950. It was painted during autumn, and the warm colors reflect the season. Apple cider anyone?

Winter and snow are common subjects for artists.

Northern Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder painted two snow themed works: "The Hunters in the Snow" (1565) and "The Census at Bethlehem" (1566).

Another Japanese artist from the same Edo period as Hokusai is Utagawa Kuniyoshi whose woodblock print "Nichiren in Snow at Tsukahara" is from 1830-1850.

French Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted "Skaters in the Bois de Boulogne" (1868) where Parisians enjoy their leisure time.

German artist Caspar David Friedrich painted "The Sea of Ice" (1823-1824) where he 'imagined' a shipwreck in the Arctic.




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Content copyright © 2023 by Camille Gizzarelli. All rights reserved.
This content was written by Camille Gizzarelli. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact Camille Gizzarelli for details.