Mountain Stream after the Thunderstorm

This picture was painted at the height of Russ’ artistic career, four years after his success had started with the painting Vorfrühling. Motiv aus der Penzinger Au [Early spring/motif from the Penzing river-meadow], exhibited in 1887 at the Vienna Künstlerhaus. (Belvedere Vienna/ Gemäldegalerie der Akademie der Bildenden Künste)
As so often, here the artist chose a large format and a picturesque motif in order to achieve a dramatic effect. The atmosphere, marked by humidity and hazy light is reminiscent of Austrian mood painting. Russ uses melodramatic elements to achieve the desired atmosphere and poetic feeling. Here it is the bridge, destroyed by the storm, and the undamaged wayside cross at the edge of the raging torrent. Bold contrasts of light and shade emphasise the dramatic effect.
Characteristically, Russ used different techniques and tools to achieve individual textures. His trademark was the “wall technique”, a blottesque process used to imitate crumbling walls. He also achieved striking contrasts of surface and spatial depth using a combination of delicate, detailed brushwork and “rough” tools (spatula, palette knife).

OEHRING Erika: Russ Robert, Mountain stream after the thunderstorm, in: DUCKE Astrid, HABERSATTER Thomas, OEHRING Erika: Masterworks. Residenzgalerie Salzburg. Salzburg 2015, p. 158