Two Boats in a Storm
1870/75
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
27.3 × 35.2 cm (10 3/4 × 13 7/8 in.); Framed: 42.6 × 49.1 × 3.4 cm (16 3/4 × 19 3/8 × 1 3/8 in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
86297
Art Historical Context
Jules Dupré's *Two Boats in a Storm* (0/75), an oil on canvas measuring just 27.3 × 35.2 cm, captures the fury of nature in a compact, intimate format. A leading figure of the Barbizon School,ré (1811–1889) was renowned for his dramatic landscapes that emphasized atmospheric effects and the sublime power of the elements. Painted late in his career amid France's turbulent socio-political climate—including the Franco-Prussian War—this work reflects the Romantic realist tradition of portraying humanity's vulnerability against untamed seas, a recurring motif in his oeuvre. Dupré's masterful use o...
About the Artist
Jules Dupré · 1811–1889
Jules Dupré (1811–1889) was born in Nantes, France, on April 5, the son of a porcelain manufacturer. He began his artistic career in his father's factory before moving to paint porcelain at his uncle's china factory in Sèvres. Lacking formal training or a specific teacher, Dupré debuted at the Paris Salon in 1831, earning a second-class medal three years later. A pivotal trip to England in 1834 ex...