Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is in the public domain. Elliott Dangerfield died in 1932; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2002.
In context
Storm Breaking Up — Elliott Dangerfield
Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 73 at death.
Painted when the artist was 53. The artist lived to 73. 13 of the 25 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.
Shaded: the lifetime of Elliott Dangerfield (1859–1932) ▲ this work, 1912 every dated painting, decade by decade
First works: up to 1893 Main working years: 1893–1915 Late works: from 1915
Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/elliott-dangerfield-storm-breaking-up-8YE378-en/
Measured from the image
Main colour
Bronze #e1af3b
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
The ten leading countries
Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.
Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 29 works by this artist, of which 5 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month
Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.
Artist and museum
Born in West Virginia, United States of America
In the quiet, mist-shrouded valleys of West Virginia, a profound artistic vision was forged during the late nineteenth century. Elliott Dangerfield (1859–1932) emerged from this rugged landscape not merely as a chronicler of scenery, but as a poet of light and atmosphere. Born in Fayetteville, his early years were steeped in the natural grandeur of the American wilderness, an environment that would later serve as the primary heartbeat of his creative output. While many of his contemporaries sought the frantic energy of urban expansion, Dangerfield turned his gaze inward toward the enduring tranquility of the Appalachian mountains, finding a spiritual resonance in the subtle shifts of color and the soft, encroaching shadows of the rural landscape.
Dangerfield’s journey from a provincial upbringing to the prestigious artistic circles of New York City represents a classic narrative of American artistic development. His formal training began under the guidance of Walter Satterlee at the National Academy of Design, where he mastered the foundational principles of tonal realism. This period of rigorous study provided him with the technical vocabulary necessary to translate the complexities of nature onto canvas. However, it was his exposure to the burgeoning American Impressionist movement that truly liberated his brush. By blending the precision of academic training with a more fluid, emotive approach to light, he began to develop a style that felt both grounded in reality and elevated by a dreamlike, nostalgic quality.
The true essence of Dangerfield’s work lies in his sophisticated use of tonalism—a movement that sought to evoke mood and emotion through a limited palette and atmospheric effects. Unlike the high-contrast drama of some landscape painters, Dangerfield preferred the nuanced gradations of dusk, dawn, and moonlight. His canvases often feature a delicate interplay of golden light and melancholic shadows, creating a sense of "Appalachian Serenity" that invites the viewer into a state of quiet contemplation. He possessed a remarkable ability to manipulate pigments to achieve a palpable sense of humidity, mist, and warmth, making the air within his paintings feel almost tangible.
His influences were as profound as the landscapes he painted. Drawing inspiration from luminaries such as Frederic Church and George Inness, Dangerfield embraced the idea that a landscape could serve as a vessel for the human spirit. His technique often utilized subtle impasto textures to catch the light, particularly in works like Moonlit Landscape (1915), where the interplay of silver moonlight and deep earth tones creates a dramatic yet serene nocturnal scene. Whether depicting a sun-drenched field in High Noon or the brooding tension of The Spirit of the Storm, his work remains anchored by a profound respect for the inherent dignity of the natural world.
Throughout his prolific career, Dangerfield remained a steadfast observer of the American countryside. While he achieved recognition within the competitive New York art scene, his heart never strayed far from the mountains of his youth. This dedication to his roots allowed him to capture a specific era of American life—a period of transition where the wild frontier was beginning to settle into the pastoral beauty of the early twentieth century. His paintings serve as vital historical documents, preserving the light and atmosphere of a landscape that has since been irrevocly changed by time.
The legacy of Elliott Dangerfield is found in the emotional resonance of his compositions. He did not seek to overwhelm the viewer with grand, sweeping spectacles; instead, he mastered the art of the intimate moment. His contributions to American landscape art are characterized by:
Atmospheric Precision: An unparalleled ability to render the subtle effects of light, mist, and weather.
Emotional Depth: The use of tonalism to evoke feelings of nostalgia, peace, and a gentle, beautiful melancholy.
Regional Devotion: A lifelong commitment to portraying the unique character and spirit of the Appalachian wilderness.
Today, Dangerfield’s work continues to captivate collectors and historians alike, standing as a testament to the power of observation and the enduring beauty of the American landscape.
originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/elliott-dangerfield-storm-breaking-up-8YE378-en/
Look closely
Storm Breaking Up — Elliott Dangerfield
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
"Storm Breaking Up" by Elliott Dangerfield can be previewed on your own wall with the artwork's AR Preview page, using augmented reality on a compatible device.
Statistics about "Storm Breaking Up" by Elliott Dangerfield are on the artwork's Stats page: monthly visits of the artwork, visits of the artist's works, and country and language breakdowns of recent visitors.
When "Storm Breaking Up" was created in 1912, Elliott Dangerfield - born in 1859 - was 53 years old.
"Storm Breaking Up" is available as a fine art print on cotton canvas or archival canvas paper. Orders are placed on this page, in the size of your choice.
The luminance recorded for "Storm Breaking Up" by Elliott Dangerfield is soft shadow.
The colors of "Storm Breaking Up" by Elliott Dangerfield show a clear color presence saturation with a vivid intensity.
The color harmony of "Storm Breaking Up" is recorded as strong color unity.
The format of "Storm Breaking Up" is landscape. This is useful when planning where a reproduction will be placed.