Approaching Storm

Painted in 1886, Approaching Storm is a work by Edward Mitchell Bannister, now in the collection of Smithsonian American Art Museum, that reflects the artistic concerns of the late 19th century — an era of fundamental transformation in both the methods and purposes of European and American painting. Edward Mitchell Bannister was one of the most significant African American painters of the 19th century, winning the gold medal at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition — only to have officials attempt to revoke the prize when they discovered his race.

Bannister worked with warm, tonal brushwork building landscapes through closely related tones of brown, gold, and deep green. His surfaces are richly textured with short, energetic strokes that convey the weight and presence of trees and foliage.