1) Barbara Johnson- “Avenue in the Rain” and “Rainy Day Boston” by Childe Hassam

My choice for this month's topic is two paintings by Childe Hassam depicting rain

Avenue in the Rain - painted in 1917 and part of his 'flag' series. This impressionist painting depicts Fifth Avenue New York and underneath the flags dark figures huddle under umbrellas.

I always find the painting very atmospheric and think of cold, wet November days.

(His 'flag' series was inspired by the 'Preparedness Parade' held in 1916 on Fifth Avenue pending  U.S involvement in WW1)

And as a contrast 

Rainy Day, Boston - painted 1885A much earlier painting by Hassam and totally different in style to his later impressionist style.  

He painted many works which featured rain, snow and sunny days but was noted for his urban and coastal scenes. During his career he produced over 3000 works - oils, watercolours, etchings and lithographs and was considered an influential American artist of the early 20th century

2) Dorothy Coombes- The Storm Spirits by Evelyn de Morgan, 1900, Oil on Canvas

I saw this picture in the Guardian British Art Quiz just at the time when we decided on this Weather topic and it seems to fit the bill!

Evelyn de Morgan was a Pre-Raphaelite painter and a strong feminist, supporting the suffrage movement. She was the wife of William de Morgan and is well known for her depiction of female figures swathed in flowing robes.In this painting, The Storm Spirits, rain, thunder and lightning are personified as strong, beautiful female spirits, causing chaos and turbulence in the sea below them. To the left, dressed in yellow is the spirit of Rain, pouring grey water from a never ending container. To the right, Lightning, a red winged figure with winged feet, hurls lightning bolts into the storm. At the top centre is the spirit of Thunderclouds, dressed in dark blue with dark wings and draperies merging into the thunderclouds around her. However in the centre of the image is a small area of quiet, away from the pandemonium of the foreground, which gives a sense of hope for a calmer future. She painted this picture at the time of the Boer War as it can be read as a symbolic depiction of the chaos of war and hope for a return to peace.

Dorothy Coombes

3) Ingrid McIvor “Bridge in the Rain” by Utagawa Hiroshige and Vincent van Gogh

I love the paintings of Van Gogh as well as Japanese architecture, gardens and art. As well as enjoying a 2020 calendar with Japanese prints hanging in my study! I then discovered that Van Gogh was very influenced by Japanese art in the 1880’s and did many ‘copies’ in the style of Hiroshige. A while back I had bought a book called ‘Japanese Prints – the Collection of Vincent Van Gogh and found one that fits in with our theme of weather – rain.

Bridge in the Rain by Van Gogh fuses the original by Hiroshige with the natural traits of this impeccable European artist. Also, it is further evidence of the impact of ukiyo-e on the mindset of Van Gogh. Of course, subtle differences abound, for example, Van Gogh uses a different color scheme, embeds the power of nature, and other important areas including texture. Despite this, it is abundantly clear that Van Gogh is paying deep respect towards Hiroshige.

1857

Sudden Shower Over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake

This print shows a group running from a sudden torrent of rain while crossing the Shin-Ohashi Bridge over the Sumida River. The vertical composition is dominated by its diagonals. At the bottom, the bridge stretches from the middle right to the lower left, while the horizon line in the background slants downward from left to right. On the bridge, three figures lean forward, toward the left, to cover their bodies, holding umbrellas above their heads, while three figures moving in the other direction huddle under a shared umbrella and another figure, slightly further forward on the bridge, holds what appears to be a blanket above the body. On the water, a figure can be seen guiding a boat. The distant bank is grey and indistinct and dark clouds gather at the top of the frame. The rain, rendered as straight black lines, falls at a slight angle from these clouds, heightening the sense of chaos while drawing the different areas of the composition together.

This print is fifty-eighth in One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. Like others in the group, it is in oban format and adopts an unconventional compositional approach that serves to dramatize the scene. The figures are small and apparently helpless against the storm; the verticality emphasizes the relentless downward drive of the rain, while the use of multiple diagonals, including that of the river itself, creates a sense of disorientation. While the palette is more subdued than others in the series, the contrast between beige and blue causes the bridge to appear as a bright element, heightening the sense of saturation, while the darker hues at the top and bottom of the image serve to keep the audience's attention within the frame.

Woodblock print - Brooklyn Museum