Frank Brangwyn

A large windmill set against a darkening sky dominates this image of a farmer gathering his herd before a storm. Starting from a sketch of a real mill in the Belgian town of Diksmuide, Brangwyn enlarges the typical Rembrandtian landscape to an unprecedented scale, replacing harmonious country views with a more ominous
vision of the disquieting power of nature. Using large zinc plates, strong nitrous acid, thick inks, and selective wiping, Brangwyn developed a bold technique ideally suited to his aesthetic goals.

Born in Belgium to Welsh parents, Brangwyn received no formal artistic education but worked with success in a variety of media. Although he claimed that art schools “only produce a lot of clever imitators,” his own style was inspired by a number of earlier artists, including Rembrandt.