Artwork
View near Epernon
View near Epernon is an oil painting by the Barbizon school artist Jean Baptiste Camille Corot. It dates from 1855 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: COROT
About this work
Technique & Style
The work uses oil paint applied to a woven canvas ground, a typical medium for Corot's mid-century landscapes.
View near Epernon is an oil painting executed in 1855 on a canvas support. The work uses oil paint applied to a woven canvas ground, a typical medium for Corot's mid-century landscapes. The painting measures approximately 33.8 cm in height and 55.3 cm in width.
While the sources do not detail the artist's handling, surface condition, or specific stylistic traits, the medium and support align with Corot's practice of painting en plein air studies later refined in the studio.
History & Provenance
Executed in 1855 by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, View near Epernon entered the market at the 3 May 1876 Paris sale, where it realized 1,200 francs. It reappeared on 29 January 1877 at Hôtel Drouot as Laboureur et cavalier dans la campagne, selling for 520 francs. By 31 March 1890 it was catalogued as La Charrue and fetched 7,000 francs at the Marchand sale, where it was acquired by Foinard.
It next passed through Galerie Georges Petit before entering the collection of Peter A.B. Widener at Lynnewood Hall, Pennsylvania, in 1891. After Widener's death, the painting was conveyed to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, as a bequest in 1942.
The painting is part of the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington, D.C., having entered in 1942 from the estate of Peter A. B. Widener. The work is listed in the museum's catalogue with an accession date of 1942 and is shown in the institution's permanent collection galleries.
Context
View near Epernon, the 1855 oil on canvas by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, exemplifies his mature landscape idiom, in which naturalistic observation meets a poetic simplification of form. The painting's modest scale (33.8 × 55.3 cm) and tree motif align with Corot's recurring concerns and foreshadow the tonal delicacy later embraced by the Impressionists. Its early ownership history, documented in sales of 1876 and 1877 and a subsequent purchase by Foinard, reflects the work's appeal in the Paris art market.
The canvas entered the collection of Peter A. B. Widener and was gifted to the National Gallery of Art in 1942.
Overview
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot's View near Epernon, an oil on canvas from 1855, exemplifies the artist's approach to landscape. This painting captures a tranquil rural scene, characteristic of the Barbizon School, which prioritized direct observation of nature. Corot, a significant figure in 19th-century French art, is recognized for his unique blend of traditional compositional elements with innovative outdoor painting techniques.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a prominent tree, framing a quiet lane that recedes into the distance. Tall trees line the path, casting shadows across patchy grass. A pale sky hangs above, contributing to the serene atmosphere.
Corot's use of soft, diffused light imbues the entire scene with a sense of stillness and calm, inviting contemplation of the natural world near the French town of Epernon.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (UK: KORR-oh, US: kə-ROH, kor-OH; French:; 16 July 1796 – 22 February 1875), or simply Camille Corot, was a French landscape and portrait painter as well as a printmaker in etching.
