Valley of Aosta: Snowstorm, Avalanche, and Thunderstorm
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
92.2 × 123 cm (36 1/4 × 48 in.); Framed: 116.9 × 147.4 × 11.8 cm (46 × 58 × 4 5/8 in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
109938
Art Historical Context
Joseph Mallord William Turner, preeminent British Romantic painter, captures the raw fury of nature in *Valley of Aosta:storm, Avalanche, andstorm* (1836–37). This oil on canvas depicts the dramatic Alpine valley in Italy, where swirling snow, crashing avalanches, and raging thunderstorms collide in a symphony of chaos. Measuring 92.2 × 123 cm, the work immerses viewers in the sublime power of the elements, a hallmark of Turner's fascination with the untamed wilderness he witnessed during his European travels. Turner's revolutionary technique—loose, impasto brushstrokes and vibrant color laye...
About the Artist
Joseph Mallord William Turner · 1775–1851
Joseph Mallord William Turner, born on 23 April 1775 in London's Covent Garden to barber William Turner and Mary Marshall, emerged as a child prodigy amid personal hardships. His mother suffered mental illness and died in Bethlem Hospital in 1804, while his father supported his early sketches by displaying them in his shop. Around age 10, Turner stayed with his uncle Joseph Mallord William Marshal...