Tornado in Windham, Conn.
Dateafter 1808
MediumPainting; oil on cardboard in wood frame
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (panel height x width): 6 7/8 x 10 1/2in. (17.5 x 26.7cm)
Frame (height x width x depth): 9 5/8 x 13 1/4 x 7/8in. (24.4 x 33.7 x 2.2cm)
Frame (height x width x depth): 9 5/8 x 13 1/4 x 7/8in. (24.4 x 33.7 x 2.2cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase
DescriptionA tornado is striking a barn on a hill, demolishng it and sending debris flying. A frame house is to the left of the funnel, and other houses are in the valley in the foreground surrounded by fields. A dirt road, bordered by rail fences, leads into the distance.
Object number1961.14.12
InscribedOn back of cardboard, right margin, in pencil, "Mrs. Gray 1 1/2 D. Gold / 50"; lower center, in red paint, "14-1961-12"On back of frame, in black ink, "TORNADO IN WINDHAM, CONN. / BY MRS. GRAY"; in red paint, "14-1961-12"NotesSubject Note: A tornado struck Windham on 7 July 1808, causing substantial damage. A "dozen barns" were blown down and several houses and outbuildings were substantially damaged. This painting may have been intended as a depiction of that event.
Date Note: Although the painting appears to depict the tornado that struck Windham in 1808, stylistically it appears to date from much later in the nineteenth century.
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