Painted in 1880, The Storm, by Pierre-Auguste Cot, is an oil painting currently on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Two subjects, a youthful woman and man, are the central focus of this work. The Storm is notable not only for its subject matter, but also for the striking way in which it is depicted; the technical mastery of Cot is evident in the well-rendered, linear style, and the dynamic and atmospheric nature of the painting inspires a greater sense of interest in the viewer.
The subject matter of the work is a pair of figures, both poised on the left leg – or, rather, on the ball of the foot – with the right leg outstretched towards the rear, and the upper body tilted forward to such an extent that this forward tilt does not appear…