Marine: The Waterspout, 1870
Gustave Courbet (French, 1819–1877)
Oil on canvas
Artist Biography
Technical Glossary
Gustave Courbet (French, 1819–1877)
Oil on canvas
27 1/8 x 39 1/4 in. (68.9 x 99.7 cm)
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Horace Havemeyer, 1929 (29.160.35)
Marine: The Waterspout depicts a tornado at sea, a dramatic phenomenon that occurs when temperature differences in the air create a whirling spiral of wind and water. The subject appealed to Courbet's patrons; he painted several versions beginning in 1866, varying the palette and sometimes including human figures.
