William Williams

Thunderstorm with the Death of Amelia

1784

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

License this image

Not on display
Artist
William Williams active 1758–1797
Medium
Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions
Support: 635 x 1019 mm
frame: 750 x 1138 x 74 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Purchased 1962
Reference
T00519

Display caption

This 'Sublime' landscape subject illustrates an episode in 'Summer' from James Thomson's cycle of poems 'The Seasons', first published in 1730. The passage describes the romance between Amelia and Celadon whose lovers' stroll ends in tragedy when they are caught in a violent storm and Amelia is struck dead by lightning. The scene of the disaster is set in Caernarvonshire, Wales, with the peak of Snowdon visible in the distance.
Williams, who originally came from Norfolk, was an itinerant painter of landscapes and history subjects. His early training as a scenery painter for the theatre probably influenced his choice of dramatic subject-matter and powerful atmospheric effects.

Gallery label, September 2004

Sublime

Explore

You might like

Samuel Colman (or Coleman), ‘The Death of Amelia’ ?1804

Samuel Colman (or Coleman) The Death of Amelia

?1804
T02109
Joseph Mallord William Turner, ‘The Deluge’ ?exhibited 1805

Joseph Mallord William Turner The Deluge

?exhibited 1805
N00493

Nicholas Pocock Snowdon on the Bangor Road about 7 Miles form Carnarvon. Verso: Sketch

date not known
View by appointment T09351
Richard Wilson, ‘Llyn-y-Cau, Cader Idris’ ?exhibited 1774

Richard Wilson Llyn-y-Cau, Cader Idris

?exhibited 1774
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art N05596
Joseph Mallord William Turner, ‘The Tenth Plague of Egypt’ exhibited 1802

Joseph Mallord William Turner The Tenth Plague of Egypt

exhibited 1802
On display at Tate Britain part of Turner Collection N00470

Nicholas Pocock Snowdon from the Road to Bangor 6 Miles from Carnarvon

date not known
View by appointment T09358
Nicholas Pocock, ‘The West Precipice of Snowdon’ 1787

Nicholas Pocock The West Precipice of Snowdon

1787
View by appointment T09147
Benjamin West, ‘The Bard’ 1778

Benjamin West The Bard

1778
T01900
Sir Thomas Lawrence, ‘Homer Reciting his Poems’ 1790

Sir Thomas Lawrence Homer Reciting his Poems

1790
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art T01974
Sir Thomas Lawrence, ‘Philadelphia Hannah, 1st Viscountess Cremorne’ exhibited 1789

Sir Thomas Lawrence Philadelphia Hannah, 1st Viscountess Cremorne

exhibited 1789
T05466
Sir Thomas Lawrence, ‘Mrs Siddons, ? as Mrs Haller in ‘The Stranger’’ c.1796–8

Sir Thomas Lawrence Mrs Siddons, ? as Mrs Haller in ‘The Stranger’

c.1796–8
N00785
Sir Thomas Lawrence, ‘Miss Laura Dorothea Ross (Mrs Francis Robertson)’ c.1798–1804

Sir Thomas Lawrence Miss Laura Dorothea Ross (Mrs Francis Robertson)

c.1798–1804
N00136
Joseph Mallord William Turner, ‘Buttermere Lake, with Part of Cromackwater, Cumberland, a Shower’ exhibited 1798

Joseph Mallord William Turner Buttermere Lake, with Part of Cromackwater, Cumberland, a Shower

exhibited 1798
On display at Tate Britain part of Turner Collection N00460
Joseph Mallord William Turner, ‘Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps’ exhibited 1812

Joseph Mallord William Turner Snow Storm: Hannibal and his Army Crossing the Alps

exhibited 1812
N00490
Sir Thomas Lawrence, ‘John Philip Kemble as Hamlet’ 1801

Sir Thomas Lawrence John Philip Kemble as Hamlet

1801
N00142