The flooding of the Tagliamento river
Giuseppe Bernardino Bison turns a natural disaster into a theatrical spectacle, depicting the chaotic flooding of the Tagliamento river in northeastern Italy. Horses flounder in the green currents while travelers cram into makeshift boats, all framed by a massive tree and distant mountains. Working in the late Rococo tradition, Bison loved to populate his landscapes with bustling, narrative scenes that feel almost like a snapshot of 18th-century travel gone wrong. The Tagliamento was known as the 'King of Alpine Rivers' for its unpredictable temper, and this painting perfectly captures why locals feared its wrath.
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