The thick swirling brushstrokes of this high-water scene in the Ardennes, a rich study in grays, embodies the artist’s exploration of nature and energetic technique. Individual features of the landscape are downplayed in favor of an almost abstract scene composed of the elements of earth, air, and water. The dark, turbulent sky appears to be as solid as the land below it, while the floodwater fills the frame with a slightly calmer surface, mirroring the clouds and sunlight.