Thunderstorm over the Alps
August 1868
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Louis P. Church
Accession Number
1917-4-1105
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Frederic Edwin Church, a master of the Hudson River School a pioneer of luminism, captured the raw power of nature in *Thunderstorm over the Alps a drawing completed in August 1868. As one of America's foremost landscape artists (1826–1900), Church was renowned for his meticulous studies of dramatic vistas, often drawn from personal travels. This work likely stems from his European journeys, where he sketched the majestic Alps—a departure from his iconic South American scenes like *Heart of the Andes*, yet true to his fascination with sublime, awe-inspiring landscapes that evoked divine grande...