Storm on Lake Garda, c. 1900

In the painting Storm on Lake Garda, created around 1900, Tina Blau-Lang (1845–1916) captured the power of nature and the dramatic atmosphere on the shores of one of the Upper Italian lakes at the foot of the Alps. Above the mountain crest, a narrow opening in the cloud cover reveals a strip of deep blue sky. Along with the brightly lit spray of the wave crests, it offers a contrast to the darkness of the stormy landscape. The highly dynamic and open brushwork seems uncharacteristic for the oeuvre of the Atmospheric Impressionist. The sketch-like nature of the work suggests that the artist would have spontaneously set to work on site. Blau-Lang explored all of Europe in over seventy trips, from which she derived important impetus for capturing specific lighting conditions.

AGW, 2021