Who painted A Blasted Tree (recto)?

A Blasted Tree (recto) was painted by Jasper Francis Cropsey in 1851.

Where can I see A Blasted Tree (recto)?

A Blasted Tree (recto) is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is A Blasted Tree (recto)?

A Blasted Tree (recto) is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

A Blasted Tree (recto)

Jasper Francis Cropsey , 1851

A Blasted Tree (recto) is a drawing by the Impressionist artist Jasper Francis Cropsey. It dates from 1851 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. A Blasted Tree is a pencil drawing by Jasper F.

About this work

This pencil drawing shows a dead tree with broken branches against a stormy sky.

This pencil drawing shows a dead tree with broken branches against a stormy sky. The bark is rough and split. Dark clouds loom behind it.

Cropsey made this study to plan a bigger painting. He wanted to show nature’s power in one small spot. The tree looks like it lost a fight with the wind.

This work feels like a sketch you’d see in a studio, not a finished piece. Look up Jasper F. Cropsey (American, 1823–1900) for more of his stormy scenes.

Overview

A Blasted Tree is a pencil drawing by Jasper F. Cropsey, serving as a preparatory study for a larger painting.

Subject & Meaning

The drawing depicts a dead tree with broken branches set against a turbulent sky, conveying the power of nature through a dramatic confrontation between the tree and the wind.

Technique & Style

Executed in pencil, the work showcases Cropsey's attention to detail, capturing the rough, split bark of the tree and the looming dark clouds behind it, with a sketch-like quality characteristic of a studio study.

History & Provenance

The drawing was created as a study for Cropsey's painting The Cove--A Storm Scene in the Catskill Mountains (1851), indicating its role in the artist's process of planning a larger composition.