Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is in the public domain. Ernest Lawson died in 1939; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2009.
In context
Approaching Storm — Ernest Lawson
Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 66 at death.
Painted when the artist was 47. The artist lived to 66. 46 of the 57 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.
Shaded: the lifetime of Ernest Lawson (1873–1939) ▲ this work, 1920 every dated painting, decade by decade
First works: up to 1907 Main working years: 1907–1918 Late works: from 1918
Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/ernest-lawson-approaching-storm-D3XUHJ-en/
Measured from the image
Main colour
Espresso #394a48
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
The ten leading countries
Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.
Together these works take 51.3% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 161 works by this artist, of which 58 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month
Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.
Artist and museum
Born in Halifax, Canada
ernest lawson, a prominent figure in the american impressionist movement, was born on march 22, 1873, in halifax, nova scotia, canada. in 1888, he moved to the united states, settling in kansas city, and later, in 1891, he made his way to new york, where he enrolled in classes at the art students league. under the tutelage of john twachtman, lawson was introduced to impressionism, which would significantly influence his formative years.
lawson's style, characterized by a blend of impressionism and realism, was shaped by his interactions with various artists. he studied at the académie julian in paris in 1893, where he met jean-joseph benjamin-constant and jean-paul laurens. his plein air painting experiences in southern france and moret-sur-loing, where he encountered alfred sisley, an english impressionist, further enriched his artistic perspective.
in 1908, lawson joined the eight, a group of artists protesting the narrow tastes and restrictive exhibition policies of the national academy of design. this association led to a pivotal exhibition at the macbeth galleries in new york, which garnered significant media attention and sparked debate about the diversity of style and subject matter in american art.
city suburbs, one of lawson's notable works, is now part of the phillips collection in washington, d.c., showcasing his unique blend of impressionism and realism. (view at AllPaintingsStore)
another piece, approaching storm, also in the phillips collection, demonstrates lawson's mastery of capturing the essence of american landscapes. (view at AllPaintingsStore)
for more on ernest lawson and his contributions to american impressionism, visit his page on AllPaintingsStore.
lawson's understated yet vibrant style, described by art critic james gibbons huneker as originating from a "palette of crushed jewels," has left an indelible mark on american art. his participation in the eight and his unique artistic approach have made him a notable figure in the history of impressionism. key points: born: march 22, 1873, halifax, nova scotia, canada died: december 18, 1939 * notable works: city suburbs, approaching storm influences: john twachtman, jean-joseph benjamin-constant, alfred sisley association: the eight * style: blend of impressionism and realism
topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/ernest-lawson-approaching-storm-D3XUHJ-en/
Look closely
Approaching Storm — Ernest Lawson
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
The X-Ray page of "Approaching Storm" by Ernest Lawson is an interactive viewer that lets you slide through eleven optical layers of the artwork's image, including an X-ray style view.
The recorded values for "Approaching Storm" by Ernest Lawson are: shadow brightness, dark luminance.
The dominant hue of "Approaching Storm" by Ernest Lawson is green to violet spectrum. The hue is the underlying tone of the palette.