Approaching Thunderstorm by Martin Johnson Heade.

This painting was based on a sketch of an approaching storm that Heade witnessed on Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay about 1858. Even when he painted storms, as here, he portrayed not the actual tempest, but its tense preamble of blackening sky and eerily illumined terrain.

Martin Johnson Heade (August 11, 1819 ?September 4, 1904) was an American painter known for his salt marsh landscapes, seascapes, and depictions of tropical birds (such as hummingbirds), as well as lotus blossoms and other still lifes. His painting style and subject matter, while derived from the romanticism of the time, are regarded by art historians as a significant departure from those of his peers.

Heade was not a widely known artist during his lifetime, but his work attracted the notice of scholars, art historians, and collectors during the 1940s. He quickly became recognized as a major American artist. Although often considered a Hudson River School artist, some critics and scholars take exception to this categorization. The leading Heade scholar and author of Heade's catalogue raisonn? Theodore E. Stebbins, Jr., wrote some years after the 1987 exhibition, 'Other scholars?yself included?ave increasingly come to doubt that Heade is most usefully seen as standing within that school.'

Heade had less interest in topographically accurate views than the Hudson River painters, and instead focused on mood and the effects of light. Stebbins wrote, 'If the paintings of the shore as well as the more conventional compositions...might lead one to think of Heade as a Hudson River School painter, the [marsh scenes] make it clear that he was not.'

Heade's works are now in major museums and collections. His paintings are occasionally discovered in unlikely places such as garage sales and flea markets.

DecorArts is a professional wall art company located in California.

Each of our prints is proudly designed and constructed in the USA, right in our workshop. We are dedicated to delivering the finest quality, craftsmanship, and customer service with each and every order. With giclée printing technology, we are able to provide the best possible quality for the reproduction of fine art masterpieces as well as your personal photos. Our prints capture the subtlest of colors and contrasts, while retaining superb image sharpness.

Want to give the best gift ever? We invite you to browse our Personalized Art Collection, our bestselling collection on Amazon.com. Heartfelt and sure to leave a lasting impression, our personalized artworks are a huge hit at weddings, anniversaries, reunions, and more. Just take a look at the comments left by our happy customers!

We also offer a wide selection of iconic classic paintings -- from Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper to Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night to Hokusai’s The Great Wave of Kanagawa -- all stunningly reproduced with giclée printing technology. Browse our gallery of curated masterpieces, where you’re sure to find your favorites or discover just the right one for your home, office, gift recipient, etc. Have an inquiry? Need some suggestions? Shoot us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Giclée Quality Guarantee:

Giclée printing is meant to produce a product at a higher quality and longer lifespan than a standard desktop inkjet printer. The word was used to describe digital reproductions of conventional artworks (painting or drawing) or photographs.

There are at least three basic criteria which must be met in order for the print to be considered a true giclée...

• For giclée printing, the paper or substrate used to actually print the final piece must be acid free and consist of a 100% cotton base.
• Any image that is to be printed as a giclée needs to be created at a resolution of no less than 300 dots per inch (DPI). This is to ensure that the final print has the sharpest detail and lacks any of the fragmentation that can occur with images less than 300 DPI.
• The last step to creating or confirming a true giclée print is the type of ink and printer used. The biggest contrast between a standard inkjet print and a giclée print is that giclées are printed using pigment-based inks rather than the dye-based inks found in lower cost inkjets. Pigment-based inks have a longer life span that can last anywhere from 100 to 200 years without significant fading.

The Quality : 

The quality of the giclée print rivals traditional silver halide and gelatin printing processes and is commonly found in museums, art galleries, and photographic galleries.

With Giclée printing technology, we are able to provide the best possible quality for the reproduction of fine art masterpieces as well as your personal photos. Our prints capture the subtlest of colors and contrasts, while retaining superb image sharpness.

• We use real wood (non-MDF) for our canvas stretcher bars
• The canvas depth of of each dimension will be 1.5" thick

All of our canvas prints are gallery wrapped. Your image will be visible in full on the front side of the canvas while the outer edges are either artistically extended or mirrored to wrap over the wood stretcher bars on all sides. Our canvases are hand-stretched over solid wood stretcher bars.

Our canvas art works arrive ready to hang right out the box! We will affix a sturdy sawtooth hanger to the back of your canvas and include in your package: two screws, two nails, a pair of gloves, and a gradienter (small water level to ensure art is hung straight). 

Framed:

Our framed arts are specially designed for both classic art and personalized artwork. Choose from a variety of frames for the perfect one to suit the style of your home.

• Mounted on back flannel so as not to scuff your walls
• Artwork arrives READY TO HANG. Hanging accessories come complimentary

Our frames are specifically chosen to complement each artwork. However, we will gladly accommodate if you'd prefer a different frame. Contact us at customerservice@decorarts.com for inquiries.