Cloud type identification in historical paintings
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Hello there,
I’m writing with a request for assistance with a research project I’m working on – I’m currently in post as Artist-In-Residence at the Foundling Museum, London, and will be presenting a body of work on the 25th of March based on the research.
I’ve been working with the paintings in the collection, from c1750 onwards, donated to the Foundling Hospital by artists such as William Hogarth and Thomas Gainsborough. A large proportion of the paintings feature characteristic, idealised and cloudy skies, and as such my work has been based around what this might mean for the subject and the viewer.
I’d love to know if there was anyone I could talk to regarding the identification of the cloud formations in the paintings, as well as general weather conditions represented therein. Could you let me know if there might be a meteorologist/student/subscriber who might help me out with this?
If you are unfamiliar with the work of the museum, here is a link to their website:
http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.ukSincerely,
Tom Railton
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Hi Gavin,
Thanks for the welcome! I’ve uploaded some images, in (I think) the correct manner; if anyone has any clues as to what the formations/types might be that are depicted, I’d love to know!
Some appear (to me, an amateur) to be relatively ‘realistic’ or fairly representational, if idealised versions of what the clouds may well have been at a given place on a given day, but others just for decoration or mood embellishment!
Love to know more!
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Tom, apart from observing most clouds are cumuliform, I think I can’t help much. The cumulus is realistic in as much as it is not all white but has shades of grey (I didn’t count).
I am new to this Forum’s technology, and in case others have the same problem (no in-line pictures or links to pictures) I will point out that you need to click on Tom’s Profile Picture to get to Tom’s Profile, then click on Album where all eight pictures are. Click on a picture and it will enlarge (then Ctl + will enlarge again (and again), Ctl – will reduce). To exit the picture click on Album and repeat with the next picture.
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You’ve got a selection of only cumulus but in various forms there, I’d say.
If you wanted to get a little more technical (not my forte, so others may disagree!) I’d list them as:
– “March of the Guards to Finchley”: cumulus mediocris (ie not the smallest, humblest form – humulis)
– “A Flagship”: cumulus congestus (they’re thicker, letting through less light, and the white ones you can see lit further away are definitely a congestus variant)
– “The Charterhouse” is more halfway. Cumulus mediocris again? or perhaps the whiter one in the centre starts from the horizon, in which case it’s a definite congestus. This one looks a little “between two stools”: is a rain coming, is it mediocris becoming congestus? Did he paint it as it really was or add in a bit of light and shade drama?
– “Captain Thomas Coram”: a bit hard to tell. It’s stratus and I’d say stratocumulus from what appears in the painting to be density, size and guesstimate of height. Could be altocumulus, you’d need a bit more clarity.
– “A Piping Shepherd Boy”: more stratocumulus in the foreground and a cumulus congestus rising behind
– “Christ Appearing”: cumulonimbus, I’d say. There’s definitely stormy weather with these. And some lower level cumulus fractus – raggedy and torn – in the top right. The painter has the sun hitting the cloud in the centre for drama, and it allows for a the beam of sunlight that hits the figures to be a possibility. In the background, there’s too much cloud density to allow a beam through
– “A View of the Cannaregio”: The top of the central cloud is a little raggedy. Perhaps Canaletto was painting a cumulonimbus calvus, not a fuly formed cumulonimbus with an anvil shaped top. You could argue it’s just cumulus congestus, but too big and it looks like it’s towering from the horizon, and developing at the top.
“Theodore Jacobsen”: stratocumulus, I think. Just various forms of cumulus, joined together. Looks congestus on the horizon and thickening overhead, but the overhead thickening is for drama and the hole in the strato- is for composition (if this was a photo, that would be a lucky placement, as a painting it’s obviously constructed!)Of course, defining clouds isn’t an exact science (and I’m not an exact person) but that’s my estimate on height, density, shape etc!
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As I said to Tom, I am not much help. But having been through Poth’s comments with two overlapping windows on my laptop, I would say Poth did a good job.
As per the Handbook, Cu should have flat bases (perhaps a guideline more than a rule). They form a few hours after daybreak on thermals, dissipating before sundown.
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Big thanks to you also, poth, that’s a great help!
It seems that what we’re arriving at is, as you say: “Did he paint it as it really was or add in a bit of light and shade drama?”
I’m working on the assumption that in most cases the clouds are provided for aesthetic or empathetic ‘atmosphere’ rather than for true-to-life depictions of the conditions on the day, though that would, of course depend on ‘the day’ or in fact ‘ the moment’ that those clouds looked the way they did, to that painter – tricky thing to pin down.
I’ve recently been in touch with John Thornes about his work in the area of ‘cultural climatology’, which includes analysis of Constable’s cloud studies, as well as other artists’ representations of skies throughput history – makes for interesting reading if you’re looking for more: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/223886705_Cultural_climatology_and_the_representation_of_sky_atmosphere_weather_and_climate_in_selected_art_works_of_Constable_Monet_and_Eliasson
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I checked the Thornes link briefly, Tom, but don’t feel cultural tonight. On the old Forum about 4/2010, I posted:
‘I saw on TV recently (Countryfile ?) a local expert pointing out that Constable minimised tree leaves so that the tree skeleton would show e.g. the Haywain in mid-summer. So what did he want to bring out in his clouds, I wonder.’
‘H’
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The range of cloud representation in historical paintings is large. Some would have “accurately” painted clouds (from memory and changing perception, of course – the average cloud doesn’t last long enough to paint while looking at it, but the cloud types would last). Some would aim for and hit both accuracy and impression, like Turner (or a Leonardo sketch). Others go for accuracy over impression or more often vice versa. Perhaps clouds aren’t accurate themselves and are very open to impression in their representation.
This used to be on the old forum, but I removed all my photos (by accident) from the old site. So just because this is the topic, here’s my both Turner- and Japanese screen-inspired storm cloud over Tokyo. (“Inspired” but lacking, naturally!)
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