Landscape At Sunset

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot prints bring the soft, silvery light of one of France's most loved landscape painters into your home. Corot linked the classical landscape tradition to the outdoor painting of the Impressionists, and his feathery trees, still ponds and dreamy "souvenirs" are instantly recognizable. Our collection of fine art prints covers his Italian views, French landscapes, figure paintings and etchings.

About Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

Camille Corot was born in Paris on 16 July 1796. His parents ran a fashionable millinery shop, and the family's comfortable income meant he never had to worry about money. He worked unhappily for a draper until he was 26, when his father finally agreed to let him become an artist.

He studied briefly with the landscape painter Achille Etna Michallon, who taught him to paint exactly what he saw, and then spent 1825 to 1828 in Italy, painting outdoor sketches of Rome and its countryside. He returned to Italy twice more and painted in the Forest of Fontainebleau from 1829, alongside the painters of Barbizon.

Success came slowly. Hagar in the Wilderness made a sensation at the Salon of 1835, but many of his works were rejected in the 1840s. By the 1850s his softer, more atmospheric style had made his name, and his studio filled with students, collectors and dealers. Corot was famously generous to fellow artists. His friends gave him a gold medal in 1874, and he died in Paris on 22 February 1875, aged 78.

Style and Subjects

Early Corot is clear and bright: sunlit Italian buildings and hills painted outdoors in firm, simple shapes. From the 1850s he painted many "souvenirs", dreamy landscapes from memory in silvery greens and greys, with feathery trees, still water and small figures of peasants or nymphs.

He also painted thoughtful figures, often women reading or dressed in costume, with the same muted harmony. His work points the way to Impressionism.

Famous Works

• The Bridge at Narni (1826), Musée du Louvre, Paris. A broken Roman bridge in Italian sunlight, painted on his first trip to Italy.
• Hagar in the Wilderness (1835), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The biblical scene that made a sensation at the Salon of 1835.
• Diana and Actaeon (1836), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The hunter surprises the goddess bathing in a wooded pool.
• Morning, Dance of the Nymphs (1850), Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Nymphs dance in a misty glade, an early poetic landscape.
• The Harbor of La Rochelle (1851), Yale University Art Gallery. A sunlit harbour view on the Atlantic coast.
• Souvenir de Mortefontaine (1864), Musée du Louvre, Paris. A woman and children gathering from a tree by a still lake, his most famous souvenir.
• Woman Reading (1869), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A woman absorbed in a book, seated in a landscape.

Decorating with Corot Prints

Corot's silvery landscapes are among the most restful paintings to live with. They suit bedrooms, living rooms and reading corners, and sit well with soft greens, greys and creams, natural wood and linen. A pair of souvenirs, such as Souvenir de Mortefontaine and Souvenir of the Environs of Lake Nemi, balances a sofa or bed beautifully.

The sunnier Italian and harbour views brighten a hallway or kitchen, and his figure paintings, such as Interrupted Reading, make a fine choice for a study or library.

FAQ

What art movement was Camille Corot part of?

Corot bridged Neoclassical landscape and the outdoor painting that led to Impressionism. He worked alongside the Barbizon painters in the Forest of Fontainebleau.

What is Corot's most famous painting?

Souvenir de Mortefontaine (1864), in the Louvre, is often called his most famous work. The Bridge at Narni and Hagar in the Wilderness are also well known.

What is a Corot "souvenir"?

From the 1850s Corot painted many dreamy landscapes from memory, which he called souvenirs. They combine real places with an imagined, poetic mood.

Where can I see Corot's paintings?

The Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris hold many of his works. Others are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Yale University Art Gallery.

What makes Corot's style recognizable?

Look for silvery greens and greys, feathery trees, still water and small figures, all bathed in soft, misty light.

Related Artists

• Achille Etna Michallon: his first teacher in landscape painting
• Théodore Rousseau: Barbizon painter of the Fontainebleau forest
• Charles-François Daubigny: Barbizon landscape painter influenced by him
• Camille Pissarro: Impressionist who considered himself Corot's pupil
• Berthe Morisot: Impressionist who took advice from him early in her career