Cloud study by Luke Howard

Cloud study by Luke Howard Cloud study by Luke Howard

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Cloud study by Luke Howard
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Royal Meteorological Society|Enquiries to Science Museum, London

Cloud study by Luke Howard, c1803-1811: Possibly a study for 1981-862/43 and 44? Wooded landscape with house, crossed through after compilation of one tree in wash. Pencil and blue wash, 11x15cm

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:
1981-862/52
Materials:
paper (fibre product) and watercolour
Measurements:
image: 110 x 115 mm
type:
drawing
credit:
On loan from the Royal Meteorological Society