The Approaching Storm
Constant Troyon·1849
Historical Context
Constant Troyon's Approaching Storm, painted in 1849, captures the dramatic atmospheric conditions that fascinated the Barbizon school of landscape painters. Troyon, who would soon turn primarily to animal painting after his Dutch journey of 1847, was at this point still focused on landscape subjects. The storm scene reflects the Romantic conception of nature as a dynamic force that dwarfs human presence, a theme shared by the entire Barbizon circle.
Technical Analysis
Troyon's oil-on-canvas-on-board technique captures the gathering storm with broad, atmospheric brushwork and a dramatic palette of dark grays and threatening greens. The low horizon and dominant sky follow the Barbizon convention of emphasizing weather and atmosphere over topographic detail.
Provenance
J. Grant Morris, Allerton Priory, Woolton, Liverpool; (his sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 23-25 April 1898, 1st day, no. 126); (Arthur Tooth & Sons, London); transferred April 1901 to their New York office;[1] private collection, Chicago, by 1927; by descent to private collection, California; (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, New York, 25 May 1995, no. 216, as _The Ferry Crossing_); purchased through (Wildenstein & Co., New York) by NGA. [1] Stock books of Arthur Tooth & Sons, London, at the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles. See letters dated 20 September 1996 and 14 October 1996 from The Getty Provenance Index, in NGA curatorial files.
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