Landscape with a Storm

Artist: Gaspard Dughet (French, 1615 - 1675)

Original Dimensions: 54 1/8" x 72 7/8"

Location: National Gallery of Art, London

About Artwork: (About 1660) "Dughet’s storm paintings were among his most admired works during his lifetime and in the eighteenth century. Two shepherds tending their flock struggle against the wind, their arms raised in alarm as they encourage their sheep to move down the path. The tree branches bend and twist against the force of the storm. In the centre, a substantial tree trunk has almost broken into two pieces, showing the effect of strong winds or perhaps lightning. The curved country lane leads our eye back and forth across the scene until we notice another shepherd and sheep fleeing towards Roman buildings in the distance. Dughet spent most of his career in Rome and often made sketches of the surrounding countryside, which may have inspired the landscape we see here. The canvas is extremely dirty and the varnish has yellowed, which makes dating this work and appreciating the artist’s use of colour very difficult." - (National Gallery of Art, London)