Artwork
The Approaching Storm
The Approaching Storm is an oil painting by the Barbizon school artist Constant Troyon. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: C. TROYON. / 1849.
About this work
Technique & Style
Stylistically, the composition features naturalistic elements, specifically depicting trees and a boat, which anchor the scene within the genre.
Executed in 1849, The Approaching Storm is an oil painting applied to canvas that has subsequently been mounted onto a board support. The work measures 116.2 by 157.5 centimeters and is classified as a landscape. Stylistically, the composition features naturalistic elements, specifically depicting trees and a boat, which anchor the scene within the genre.
The application of oil paint on this specific composite support defines the physical handling of the piece. While the source material confirms the medium and dimensions, it does not provide specific details regarding the current condition of the paint layer or the board, nor does it elaborate on specific brushwork techniques beyond the identification of the materials used.
History & Provenance
Constant Troyon executed The Approaching Storm in 1849. The painting's documented ownership begins with J. Grant Morris of Allerton Priory, Woolton, Liverpool. Following Morris's death, the work was sold at Christie, Manson & Woods in London during April 1898.
It subsequently entered the inventory of Arthur Tooth & Sons in London before being transferred to their New York branch in April 1901. By 1927, the canvas was held in a private Chicago collection, eventually passing by descent to a California owner. In May 1995, it appeared at auction in New York under the title The Ferry Crossing.
Wildenstein & Co. of New York facilitated the final acquisition by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
The Approaching Storm is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it is recorded in the museum’s collection. The work entered the NGA’s holdings after being acquired from Wildenstein & Co. in 1995, following a Christie’s New York auction (sale no. 216, titled The Ferry Crossing). Its accession is noted in the museum’s provenance files, which trace the painting’s earlier ownership from J. Grant Morris through Arthur Tooth & Sons to a private collector in Chicago before its 1995 sale. No exhibition history is documented in the cited provenance records.
Legacy
The Approaching Storm, painted by Constant Troyon in 1849, entered the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., after a documented sale in 1995 that traced its ownership from J. Grant Morris through several London dealers to a New York office and finally to the museum. The work remains on view as a representative example of a mid‑19th‑century French landscape painting, noted for its dramatic sky and meticulous rendering of a boat and tree. Its inclusion in a major public collection has contributed to ongoing scholarship on Troyon’s influence on later European landscape artists and underscores the painting’s continued relevance in art‑historical narratives.
Overview
Constant Troyon, a French painter, created The Approaching Storm in 1849. This oil painting, executed on canvas mounted on board, exemplifies his early focus on landscape subjects. The work depicts a seemingly tranquil outdoor scene, yet hints at an impending shift in atmosphere through its visual elements.
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays a quiet waterside setting, featuring a lone boat resting on the water and a tree positioned on the shore. Despite the initial appearance of calm, the dark, ominous sky above suggests a change in weather. This contrast between the serene foreground and the darkening heavens creates a sense of anticipation and tension, hinting at the storm referenced in the title.
Context
Constant Troyon was a member of the Barbizon school, a group of French artists known for their direct engagement with nature. While he later became widely recognized for his animal paintings, The Approaching Storm belongs to an earlier period in his career when he primarily concentrated on landscapes, reflecting the Barbizon artists' interest in naturalistic outdoor scenes.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Constant Troyon was a French painter of the Barbizon school. In the early part of his career, he painted mostly landscapes. It was only comparatively late in life that Troyon found his métier as a painter of animals,…
