Artwork
Tornado
Tornado is a drawing by Paul B. Travis. It dates from 1927 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Paul Travis painted this in 1927, right after Ohio got hit hard by twisters.
Tornado is a swirling funnel of dark clouds and debris over rooftops. The colors twist from deep gray to sickly yellow. A house tilts as if it might fly apart.
Paul Travis painted this in 1927, right after Ohio got hit hard by twisters. Back then, people didn’t have radar to warn them. The sky looks alive, like it’s about to swallow the town.
It hangs at the Cleveland Museum of Art. They’ve owned it since the 1930s.
Overview
Tornado, a 1927 drawing by Paul B. Travis, depicts a devastating tornado descending upon a town, capturing the intense fury of the natural disaster.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing conveys the terror of a tornado's impact, with a swirling funnel cloud and debris threatening to destroy rooftops and upend a house, reflecting the artist's response to the devastating Ohio twisters of the time.
Technique & Style
Travis employed a dramatic color palette, transitioning from deep grays to sickly yellows, and dynamic swirling lines to animate the sky and convey the destructive force of the tornado.
History & Provenance
Created in 1927, shortly after Ohio's severe tornado outbreaks, Tornado has been part of The Cleveland Museum of Art's collection since the 1930s.
Artist & collection
