Stormy Landscape
Born in England, Shaw apprenticed to a sign painter before turning to landscape painting. Though largely self-taught, he developed a successful career in Bath. In 1817, Shaw traveled to Philadelphia; this dramatic painting was made shortly after. On a windswept riverbank below a castle, a young woman watches in awe as a storm rolls in. Instead of depicting an American landscape, Shaw’s bravura example of British Romanticism emphasizes the sublime power of nature. The painting was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, in 1818, where numerous artists—including the young Thomas Cole—likely encountered it.
Artwork Details
- Title: Stormy Landscape
- Artist: Joshua Shaw (American (born England), Bellingborough, Lincolnshire 1776–1861 Bordentown, New Jersey)
- Date: 1818
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 31 1/8 × 43 1/2 in. (79.1 × 110.5 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Erving and Joyce Wolf, in memory of Diane R. Wolf, 2023
- Object Number: 2023.442
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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