Before the storm. 1879 Isaac Ilyich Levitan (1860-1900)
Isaac Ilyich Levitan – Before the storm. 1879
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Painter: Isaac Ilyich Levitan
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The painting was painted in 187 9. We see the outskirts of the village. On the right is a street with houses that have become crooked with time. Two boys are engaged in a familiar game. They are very much involved with something and do not notice that a thunderstorm is coming. Levitan used the juiciest possible colors to convey the charm of nature. All the grass and trees are painted as clearly as possible.
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Description of Isaac Levitan’s painting Before a Thunderstorm
The painting was painted in 187 9.
We see the outskirts of the village. On the right is a street with houses that have become crooked with time. Two boys are engaged in a familiar game. They are very much involved with something and do not notice that a thunderstorm is coming.
Levitan used the juiciest possible colors to convey the charm of nature. All the grass and trees are painted as clearly as possible. You get the feeling that we’re about to hear the rustle of leaves and feel the breeze.
Levitan depicted an ordinary summer day. The sky is still blue, but very soon everything will change. A thunderstorm is approaching. The clouds are gathering on the right. The clouds are not gloomy yet, they are only slightly dark. Levitan has succeeded in masterfully portraying the moment when the thunderstorm is just emerging. The wind is not blowing, the trees are not bending and the lightning is not flashing. All of nature is frozen in a kind of anticipation.
The artist masterfully conveyed the incredibly sunny mood, although the painting is called "Before the thunderstorm. The impression may arise that before the thunderstorm, the trees and grass stand still in languid expectation of something unknown, creating a kind of tension. But in Levitan’s painting everything is different. After the rain, all of nature is refreshed and sparkles with new colors. That’s why every tree and blade of grass is frozen in languid anticipation of the coming storm.
An ordinary country summer day has its own charm. It would seem that nothing special is going on in the picture. But the true beauty lies in the ordinary. The true artist is able to see what others can not. Levitan conveys his own feeling. The whole picture seems to glow from within, it is overflowing with incredibly bright and juicy colors. Slanted wooden houses in gray do not create a sense of despair. The viewer has an incredibly bright and joyful feeling.
The ordinary nature before the storm acquires a new sound, thanks to the skill of the artist.
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The color palette is muted, primarily consisting of earthy tones – browns, ochres, and greens – which contribute to the overall feeling of quietude and rural simplicity. However, this tranquility is disrupted by the dramatic sky; heavy, grey clouds gather overhead, suggesting an imminent storm. The artist employed loose brushstrokes to depict the foliage and the sky, creating a sense of movement and atmospheric tension.
Two figures are present in the foreground: a woman bent over near the road’s edge, seemingly gathering something from the ground, and a child standing nearby, facing away from the viewer. Their postures convey a stillness that contrasts with the dynamic energy of the approaching storm. The childs position, looking towards the horizon, suggests an awareness of the impending change, perhaps even apprehension or curiosity.
The buildings themselves appear weathered and humble, indicative of a modest existence tied to the land. They are integrated into the landscape rather than standing apart from it, reinforcing the theme of human connection with nature. The overall impression is one of quiet resignation and acceptance in the face of forces beyond human control. There’s an underlying melancholy present, not necessarily born of despair but of a recognition of the cyclical nature of life and the inevitability of change.
The painting evokes a sense of timelessness; it could depict any rural community facing the challenges of weather and livelihood. The subtext speaks to themes of resilience, the fragility of human endeavors against the backdrop of natural power, and the quiet dignity of rural existence.