“This painting draws you in with its dramatic interplay of light and shadow, capturing a historic French tower under a captivating, turbulent sky. Notice how the sunlight illuminates the ancient stone, making it stand out against the approaching storm.”
A dramatic sky looms over the ancient stone tower in this painting, with sunlight breaking through to illuminate the historic structure. This 14th-century fortress, depicted here in Avignon, France, rises majestically from the landscape, its weathered walls reflecting in the Rhône River below. The artist, Samuel Alcock & Company, used saturated hues to capture the romantic quality of the scene, creating a vivid contrast between the sunlit tower and the gathering storm clouds. The detailed rendering of the architecture and the dynamic atmosphere suggest a careful study of light and its effects on the landscape. This particular work showcases a shift from the artist's earlier focus on New England scenery, reflecting a broader interest in European subjects during their extensive travels.
- Artist
- Samuel Alcock & Company
- Date
- 1875
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- 20.3 × 23.7 cm (8 × 9 5/16 in.)
- Collection
- Arts of the Americas
- Culture
- United States
- Credit line
- Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
The way sunlight catches the top of the tower, making it glow against the stormy sky.
The reflections of the tower and sky in the calm waters of the Rhône River.
The subtle variations in the stone of the tower, suggesting age and texture.
The dark, heavy clouds on the left contrasting with the bright sky on the right.
Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Old Tower at Avignon — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Samuel Alcock & Company
Samuel Alcock & Company, a prominent British business, was renowned for its intricate ceramic designs, particularly elegant cups and tureens, in the mid-19th century.
Further Works by Company
An Elegant Company
1632 · Art Institute of Chicago
Mr. James Mackie
1830 · Art Institute of Chicago
Lettered title: Christy
1845 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Early Ploughman
1856 · Art Institute of Chicago
Lord Lyndhurst
1824 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Pink Boy
1901 · Art Institute of Chicago
Designs for Tureens and a Platter
1845 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Designs for Two Tureens and a Plate
1845 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More works to explore
Beyond Company: works from the same years.
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Cart with Red and White Ox
Vincent van Gogh · 1884 · Kröller-Müller Museum
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Chariot Race
Léon-Victor Dupré · 1876 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Paris Street; Rainy Day
Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1860s–1890s
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884
Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1860s–1890s
The Backgammon Players
Philip Webb · 1861 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1860s–1890s
The Fishermen (Fantastic Scene)
Paul Cézanne · 1875 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1860s–1890s
The Seine at Pont de Grenelle
Paul Gauguin · 1875 · Wallraf–Richartz Museum
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Watering Place at Marly
Alfred Sisley · 1875 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Woman at the Piano
Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1875 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son
Claude Monet · 1875 · National Gallery of Art
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Yellow Dancers (In the Wings)
Edgar Degas · 1875 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1860s–1890s
An Alpine Scene
Gustave Courbet · 1874 · Art Institute of Chicago