This artwork is celebrated as an important example of early Canadian landscape art. Watson, known as “Canada’s first landscape painter,” created this piece during a time when Canadian art was beginning to establish its own identity, moving away from European influences and embracing the country's unique landscapes.
This painting reflects Watson’s fascination with nature’s power and beauty. The dark, stormy sky and windswept trees convey the dramatic mood of a passing storm. Watson often depicted scenes like these to capture the raw, untamed quality of the Canadian wilderness, making nature an essential part of the Canadian story.
The work attracted international attention, even catching the admiration of Oscar Wilde and Queen Victoria, who purchased one of his pieces for her collection. Watson’s emphasis on the land influenced later Canadian artists in defining Canada’s visual culture through landscape art.
