Heinz Dubois: Approaching Storm

• 1947
• pastel
• 38.22 x 48.8 cm

The influence of the Brücke artists on Dubois is evident in the particular colourfulness of the pastel entitled Approaching Storm. Thick clouds in differentiated shades of blue draw across the pink of the setting sun, darken the sky and stand in interesting contrast with the light, richly nuanced colourful tones of the beach. Dubois enhances the expressivity of the picture through a dramatic situation involving two people battling against the weather and awaiting an imminent storm.

In 1963 the art critic Lothar Lang characterised this work as follows: “Heinz Dubois‘ artistic work moves in the fertile polarity of thematic painting and natural expression.”
From 1945 Heinz Dubois had been inspired by the expressionism of the Brücke artists Max Pechstein, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and Emil Nolde. In his depictions of nature Dubois expressed his creative-expressive stance in line with these artists.