“Stop to appreciate the dramatic light in this painting, where a summer shower has just passed, leaving behind a landscape shimmering with renewed life under a clearing sky. It’s a moment of quiet beauty and natural drama.”
A burst of golden light illuminates a tranquil landscape after a storm, depicting a scene of serene beauty. The sky, still bruised with remnants of the shower, begins to clear, allowing a dramatic shaft of sunlight to break through the clouds. This light catches the wet leaves of the trees and gleams on the puddles that dot the path, creating a sense of freshness and renewal. The composition draws the eye along the winding path, inviting contemplation of nature's power and its gentle aftermath. This painting, made in 1894, offers a contrast to the historical and often brutal themes Rochegrosse explored in other works, showcasing a different facet of his artistic range and his skill in capturing atmospheric effects.
- Artist
- Georges Rochegrosse
- Date
- 1894
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- 81.9 × 107.6 cm (32 1/4 × 42 3/8 in.)
- Collection
- Arts of the Americas
- Culture
- United States
- Credit line
- Edward B. Butler Collection
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The vibrant golden light breaking through the clouds.
The glistening puddles on the path reflecting the sky.
The detailed texture of the wet leaves on the trees.
The dark, receding storm clouds on the left.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Stand in front of it and listen
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Georges Rochegrosse
1859–1938 · FranceGeorges Rochegrosse was a French painter known for colossal historical scenes, often depicting brutal subjects, and his opulent Symbolist work like 'The Knight of Flowers.'
Further Works by Rochegrosse
A Marine
1874 · Art Institute of Chicago
Final Study for "Bathers at Asnières"
1883 · Art Institute of Chicago
Flower Girl in Holland
1887 · Art Institute of Chicago
The Annunciation
1887 · Art Institute of Chicago
Early Morning, Tarpon Springs
1892 · Art Institute of Chicago
The Home of the Heron
1893 · Art Institute of Chicago
Love of Winter
1914 · Art Institute of Chicago
Oil Sketch for "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884"
1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
More works to explore
Beyond Rochegrosse: works from the same years.
Same era · 1870s–1900s
A Woman Walking in a Garden
Vincent van Gogh · 1887 · Frans Buffa & sons
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Still Life with Crayfish
Mikhail Larionov · 1900 · Museum Ludwig
Same era · 1870s–1900s
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884
Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Madame Léon Clapisson
Léon-Victor Dupré · 1883 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1906 · Museum Frieder Burda
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Aha oe feii? (What! Are You Jealous?)
Paul Gauguin · 1894 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
The Sofa
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec · 1894 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
Woman Bathing Her Feet in a Brook
Camille Pissarro · 1894 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
House and Courtyard
John Singer Sargent · 1895 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1870s–1900s
The Child's Bath
Mary Cassatt · 1893 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1870s–1900s
The Hands
Edvard Munch · 1893 · Munch Museum
Same era · 1870s–1900s
The Loire
Alfred Sisley · 1896 · Art Institute of Chicago
