Who painted A Storm over the Mountains near Nocera?

A Storm over the Mountains near Nocera was painted by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in 1787.

Where can I see A Storm over the Mountains near Nocera?

A Storm over the Mountains near Nocera is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is A Storm over the Mountains near Nocera?

A Storm over the Mountains near Nocera is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

A Storm over the Mountains near Nocera

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , 1787

A Storm over the Mountains near Nocera is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It dates from 1787 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1787, “A Storm over the Mountains near Nocera” is a pen and brown‑ink drawing on laid paper, enhanced with a gray wash applied over a graphite underdrawing. The work measures roughly the size of a typical sketchbook page and belongs to the genre of landscape studies, reflecting the artist’s interest in natural phenomena.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts a rugged mountain range under a turbulent sky, its jagged clouds suggesting an approaching storm. Below the peaks, a modest village clings to a riverbank, its few houses and tall trees rendered with minimal detail. Small human figures trace the shoreline, emphasizing the contrast between the fragile settlement and the overwhelming forces of nature.

Technique & Style

Goethe employed fine pen lines to outline forms, then built volume through cross‑hatching and subtle shading. The gray wash adds atmospheric depth, softening distant elements while intensifying the stormy sky. The graphite underdrawing provides a structural framework, allowing the ink to define contours without erasing the initial sketch’s spontaneity.

History & Provenance

The drawing originates from the late eighteenth‑century period when Goethe explored both literature and visual arts. It remained in private collections for much of its early history before entering a public institution’s holdings in the twentieth century, where it has been cited as evidence of the poet’s multidisciplinary pursuits.