Orange Sky with Scattered Clouds, Greece

Art Historical Context

Lockwood de Forest’s “Orange Sky with Scattered Clouds, Greece” captures a fleeting moment of Mediterranean light on February 22, 1878. The small scale of this oil-on-card study—only 22.4 by 31.8 centimeters—suggests it was created as a portable sketch, allowing the artist to work directly outdoors and record atmospheric effects with speed and immediacy. De Forest, an American landscape painter who traveled widely, used the compact card support to experiment with vibrant color and loose brushwork. The glowing orange sky against scattered clouds reveals his interest in the dramatic light and color unique to Greek skies, a subject that appealed to many 19th-century artists exploring the region. Now part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings collection, the work stands as a vivid example of the period’s plein-air tradition, where quick studies served both as personal records and foundations for larger studio paintings.

About the Artist

Lockwood de Forest · 1850–1932

American painter, interior designer and furniture designer. A key figure in the Aesthetic Movement, he introduced the East Indian craft revival to Gilded Age America. His father was Henry Grant de Forest, and his son worked professionally as Lockwood de Forest, Jr., though the son's birth name is Lockwood de Forest, III.