Artwork
Rainstorm—Cider Mill at Redding, Connecticut
Rainstorm—Cider Mill at Redding, Connecticut is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist George Harvey. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition emphasizes the presence of trees within this rural setting, capturing the atmospheric conditions of the weather event.
The work depicts a landscape scene centered on a cider mill in Redding, Connecticut, set against the backdrop of a rainstorm. The composition emphasizes the presence of trees within this rural setting, capturing the atmospheric conditions of the weather event. As a landscape genre piece created in 1840, the painting represents a specific moment in the American countryside, focusing on the interaction between the built environment of the mill and the natural elements of the storm and surrounding flora.
Technique & Style
Rainstorm, Cider Mill at Redding, Connecticut is executed in watercolor and gouache on white wove paper, a support typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century American landscape studies. The work measures 21.3 cm in height by 34.6 cm in width, reflecting the modest scale of such studies before larger exhibition pieces. Its handling shows delicate washes of pigment that capture atmospheric effects, while the formal composition emphasizes the interlocking forms of trees and the mill, rendered with a loose yet precise brushstroke that conveys movement and moisture.
The stylistic qualities blend naturalistic observation with a subtle romantic emphasis on light and weather, characteristic of George Harvey’s approach to American scenery.
History & Provenance
George Harvey created the watercolor and gouache work Rainstorm, Cider Mill at Redding, Connecticut in 1840. Executed on white wove paper, the piece measures 21.3 cm in height and 34.6 cm in width. The artwork is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically within its American Wing.
No specific details regarding the original commission, prior ownership history, or the circumstances of its acquisition by the museum are provided in the available records.
Context
George Harvey painted Rainstorm, Cider Mill at Redding, Connecticut in 1840, a watercolor and gouache work measuring 21.3 cm by 34.6 cm that depicts a tree and belongs to the landscape genre (1,2). The piece is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s American Wing and has been discussed in scholarly literature as part of Harvey’s early exploration of atmospheric effects in American scenery (1,2). Its depiction of a tree aligns with recurring motifs in his oeuvre, situating the work within the broader development of 19th‑century American landscape painting (1,2).
Overview
Rainstorm, Cider Mill at Redding, Connecticut is a mid‑19th‑century watercolor and gouache on white wove paper by Scottish artist George Harvey. Executed around 1840, the piece belongs to the landscape tradition and records a rural Connecticut scene under heavy rain.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sir George Frederick Harvey (1 February 1806 – 22 January 1876) was a Scottish painter and President of the Royal Scottish Academy.
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