Rain Cloud
- Artist: Ivon Hitchens
- Date: 1962 - 1963
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "Rain Cloud" by Ivon Hitchens, created between 1962 and 1963. Hitchens was a master of working outdoors, and you can feel that immediacy in this canvas. He’d set up quickly on a hillside or near a river, letting the weather dictate the brushstrokes. The result is a sweeping, almost cinematic depiction of a storm cloud sweeping across the landscape—bold, energetic, and bursting with color.
Even though he painted it outside, he didn’t consider the work finished on the first pass. In the studio, months or even years later, he would return to refine edges, tweak light, and perfect the composition. That patience is why the piece feels both spontaneous and meticulously composed. The oil on canvas gives it a lush texture, with the wet, reflective tones capturing the sky’s mood.
What’s striking is how Hitchens captures the dual nature of a rain cloud: the dark, heavy weight against a suddenly brightened horizon. He balances the dramatic blues and grays with subtle greens and earthy browns, pulling the viewer’s eye through the scene. It’s a testament to his skill in conveying atmosphere and motion—an energetic snapshot of nature’s fleeting drama.
See it in person
Rain Cloud hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
