Storm Over A Lake 1800 - 1811

"Storm Over A Lake" was made by Joseph Barber in the late 18th or early 19th century, using watercolor and graphite on paper. Look closely, and you’ll notice that the atmospheric effects—the titular storm—are rendered with delicate washes. Barber coaxes a remarkable tonal range from the watercolor, creating a brooding, almost theatrical scene. The graphite provides a linear structure, defining the rocky terrain and distant mountains. The artist's technique, layering translucent washes, echoes the Romantic period's fascination with nature's sublime power. But consider also the social context of this work. Barber was working in an era when the industrial revolution was transforming the British landscape. This work, with its emphasis on untouched nature, can be seen as a counterpoint to that shift, a yearning for a world before mass production. The amount of time and skill involved in creating such a detailed watercolor would have stood in stark contrast to the emerging world of mechanized labor. This emphasis on materials, making, and context allows us to appreciate the full depth of the work's meaning, challenging those old distinctions between fine art and craft.