Approaching Thunder Storm

Heade painted Approaching Thunder Storm in 1859, early in his career as a landscape painter. He was 41 years old and had been painting for over two decades, mostly portraits and conventional landscapes, with limited success. Approaching Thunder Storm is one of the first paintings in which Heade found his own voice, combining the precise observation of the Hudson River School with a dramatic, emotional atmosphere that looks forward to his later salt marsh paintings. The painting shows a coastal landscape with a thunderstorm approaching from the right. The sky is divided between dark, threatening clouds on the right and clear, luminous sky on the left. The water is painted in dark, translucent layers of blue and green, with the reflections of the clouds visible on the surface. A few boats are visible on the water, and a small island is visible in the distance. The light falls from the left, illuminating the water and the boats, while the storm clouds advance from the right, casting the right side of the painting in shadow. The painting is a study of contrast: light against dark, calm against storm, safety against danger. The boats on the water are small and vulnerable, and the approaching storm is vast and powerful. The painting captures the moment of tension before the storm breaks, when the air is still and the sky is changing. Heade would return to this dramatic approach in his later salt marsh paintings, where the sky and the weather are the true subjects. Heade was born in Lumberville, Pennsylvania, and trained as a portrait painter. He turned to landscape in the 1850s, after meeting the painter John Frederick Kensett and the collector Daniel Huntington, who encouraged him to paint landscapes. Approaching Thunder Storm was one of the first landscapes he exhibited, and it was praised for its dramatic effect and its careful observation of weather. Oil on canvas, 72 by 122 centimeters. Heade painted with a smooth, controlled touch, building the water in thin, even layers of dark blue and green. The storm clouds are painted in thick, opaque strokes of dark gray and black, with the edges of the clouds described in soft, translucent strokes. The clear sky is painted in soft, luminous layers of pink and gold, with the light falling from the left. The boats are painted in small, precise strokes of dark color, providing a sense of scale. The surface has the smooth, polished quality of a Luminist painting. The horizontal format and dramatic palette make this print work well in a living room, dining room, or office. The dark blues, grays, and warm golds pair with white walls, natural wood, and rooms with a dramatic or contemplative mood. The 18x24 size is the best choice, as the composition needs width to read. The painting has a powerful, atmospheric quality that suits rooms with a dramatic or naturalistic mood. This is a public domain artwork from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. We print it on archival matte paper at sizes from 8x10 to 18x24 inches, framed or unframed.