Cloud study of light cirro-cumulus beneath cirrus

Made:
1803-1811 in England
artist:
Luke Howard
Cloud study by Luke Howard

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Cloud study by Luke Howard
Royal Meteorological Society. Enquiries to Science Museum, London

Cloud study by Luke Howard, c1803-1811: Light cirro-cumulus beneath cirrus. Pink and grey wash. Inscribed in pencil: Cirrus

Chemist and amateur meterologist Luke Howard captured the different shapes and colours of clouds in these delicate pencil and watercolour sketches. Along with observations of height and movement, he managed the unimaginable and classified the clouds. Howard identified three basic families of clouds, using Latin names: cirrus ('curl of hair'), stratus ('layer') and cumulus ('heap' or 'pile'). He then added a further four subcategories - cirro-cumulus, cirro-stratus (nimbus) to explain the way clouds could swiftly change in appearance or join with others in the sky. Howard collaborated with the artist Edward Kennion to produce more picturesque cloud sketches for the third edition of his 'Essay on the Modification of Clouds' published in Alexander Tilloch’s 'Philosophical Magazine' in 1865.

Details

Category:
Art
Object Number:
1981-862/1
Materials:
paper, watercolour
Measurements:
overall: 171 mm x 226 mm
type:
drawing
credit:
On loan from the Royal Meteorological Society