Hushing (Calm Before the Storm)

Nikolai Dubovskoy (1859-1918) was a Russian landscape painter who along with Russian great Isaac Levitan, created the Landscape of Mood genre based on the condition of nature spiritualized and carrying aspects of the human soul.

Dubovskoy was discovered to have artistic talent at an early age as he was adept at copying illustrations from magazines. His uncle taught him to draw by memory. After a short stint as a military cadet, Dubovskoy returned to his real avocation, painting. At age 17, he entered the Imperial Academy of Art; upon graduation he traveled throughout Europe and the Middle East before returning to Russia to focus on his landscape art.

Dubovskoy’s work included calm, serene pastoral scenes, rustic landscapes and cottages but he also liked to study storms, mountains, and waterfalls. His technique tended to be more tight and controlled but he developed a looser more fluid style as he matured as an artist.

In Hushing we feel the heaviness of the thick storm clouds accumulating over the small coastal town. Dubovskoy creates a mood of wariness and calmness before the impending storm. The painting is almost void of human presence as nature takes control and dominates the scene. In 1890, this painting was purchased by Tsar Alexander III for his collection in the Winter Palace.

- Heidi Werber

P.S. You will find here a selection of landscape paintings found in real life during the 21st century Grand Tour of Mr. Bacchus.