Artwork
The Farm
The Farm is an oil painting by the Barbizon school artist Charles François Daubigny. It dates from 1855 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: Daubigny. 1855
About this work
Technique & Style
The work was originally owned by Félix Vallotton before being sold to Alexandre Bernheim-Jeune and later acquired by Chester Dale in 1926.
The Farm, painted by Charles-François Daubigny in 1855, is an oil on canvas work measuring 51.4 cm in height and 81.3 cm in width. The painting depicts a rural landscape with a farmhouse and surrounding fields, rendered with loose brushwork and naturalistic lighting characteristic of the Barbizon school. Its surface shows signs of age, including craquelure and a slightly yellowed varnish, though the paint layer remains stable and well adhered to the canvas support.
The composition emphasizes atmospheric depth through tonal gradations and careful handling of light, reflecting Daubigny’s focus on plein air effects and honest representation of the countryside.
The work was originally owned by Félix Vallotton before being sold to Alexandre Bernheim-Jeune and later acquired by Chester Dale in 1926. It entered the National Gallery of Art collection in 1963 via bequest.
History & Provenance
Charles-François Daubigny completed this oil on canvas in 1855. The work's early ownership includes Gérard of Paris, followed by a period in the collection of Félix Vallotton in Lausanne, a tenure recalled by the artist's nephew Paul Vallotton in a 1966 note. Subsequently, the Paris dealer Alexandre Bernheim-Jeune acquired the painting, which was later handled by the Galerie Georges Petit.
On June 9, 1926, the work was sold to Chester Dale in New York. Dale retained the painting until his death, after which it entered the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as part of his 1963 bequest.
The Farm is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection in 1963 as part of the bequest of Chester Dale, who had purchased it on 9 June 1926 through Galerie Georges Petit in Paris. Its earlier provenance traces through the dealer Alexandre Bernheim-Jeune in Paris and, possibly, to Félix Vallotton in Lausanne, a recollection recorded in a 6 October 1966 note from Paul Vallotton held in the NGA curatorial files. The painting was preceded in its ownership history by Gérard in Paris.
No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1855, The Farm is an oil on canvas work that presents a tranquil rural tableau. A modest farmhouse and barn dominate the composition beneath a clear blue sky, while a cart and a few animals occupy the foreground. Warm, earthy hues convey the simplicity of the setting, and the overall atmosphere is one of quiet repose.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures a slice of everyday agrarian life in mid‑nineteenth‑century France. By focusing on ordinary structures and livestock, the work emphasizes the harmony between human habitation and the surrounding landscape, inviting viewers to contemplate the calm rhythm of countryside existence.
Context
Daubigny’s focus on unembellished countryside subjects aligns with the Barbizon movement’s shift away from academic idealization toward direct observation. His treatment of light and atmosphere in The Farm anticipates techniques later adopted by Impressionist painters, marking the work as a bridge between two pivotal French art movements.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Charles-François Daubigny ( DOH-bin-yee, US: DOH-been-YEE, doh-BEEN-yee, French:; 15 February 1817 – 19 February 1878) was a French painter, one of the members of the Barbizon school, and is considered an important precursor of…
