A Blasted Tree (recto) Floorplan (verso)

1851

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

A Blasted Tree (recto) Floorplan (verso) is a 1851 by Jasper Francis Cropsey, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Jasper Francis Cropsey
When & what style?: 1851 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This drawing shows a dead tree against a stormy sky. Its twisted roots grab the dirt like skeletal fingers. The bark is split. Dark lines cover the page—like lightning cracked the trunk. Cropsey made this to plan a big painting. He copied every bump and scratch on the wood. Artists often do this before working on canvas. Check out the real tree in The Cleveland Museum of Art.