Stimulating Interest in Weather and Climate through Paintings, Museum Dioramas, and Other Artwork

John Constable is better known as one of the finest 19th Century artists than as a founder of meteorology. Yet his commitment to accuracy in landscape paintings, especially details of the sky, inspired others to engage in research and presentations which formed the scientific basis for the atmospheric sciences. Many other artists followed Constable in trying to depict the world as it is, not in some idealized or stylized background. This poster will provide selected examples of paintings capturing weather in the past two centuries or so. It will also include examples of dioramas in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City where the depicted weather conditions influence the viewer's interaction with the stuffed animals in the environment displayed. Teachers at all levels should become more aware of the potential to incorporate art in efforts to develop effective STEAM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Art/Mathematics) lessons.