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While this landscape relies in part on the artist's observation of nature, the canvas was directly inspired by the 17th-century Dutch landscapes Michel had restored for the Louvre museum early in his career.

For Michel and other Romantic landscape painters, the faithful copying of nature was subordinated to their goals of expressing emotions and suggesting nature's awesome power. Michel conveys the emotional side of Romanticism by the majestic sweep of the clouds and the vast landscape, which dwarf the figures seeking shelter from the storm.