Artwork
The Forest of Fontainebleau
The Forest of Fontainebleau is an oil painting by the Barbizon school artist Narcisse Virgilio Díaz. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Executed in oil on panel in 1874, the work exemplifies the genre of forest scenery and reflects the interest in depicting untouched nature.
The painting portrays a wooded landscape identified as the Forest of Fontainebleau, presenting a natural scene characteristic of 19th‑century French landscape art. Executed in oil on panel in 1874, the work exemplifies the genre of forest scenery and reflects the interest in depicting untouched nature. It is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains part of the institution's collection of landscape paintings.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1874, this landscape by Narcisse Virgilio Díaz utilizes oil paint applied to a panel support. The work measures 47.3 cm in height and 60 cm in width. As a product of the mid-nineteenth century, the piece exemplifies the artist's engagement with forest scenery, rendered through the fluid handling characteristic of oil media.
The combination of oil and panel suggests a approach allowing for both textural richness and structural stability. While specific details regarding current surface condition or distinct brushwork patterns are not explicitly detailed in the available records, the material composition firmly places the object within the tradition of French landscape painting of the era, prioritizing the direct observation of natural light and foliage through established painterly methods.
History & Provenance
The Forest of Fontainebleau was created in 1874 by Narcisse Virgilio Díaz, executed in oil paint on panel. The work is catalogued as a landscape painting and measures 47.3 by 60 centimeters. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains located.
The sources do not provide information on a commission, an ownership chain prior to the museum's acquisition, or further details of its creation history.
Overview
Narcisse Virgilio Díaz's painting, The Forest of Fontainebleau, completed in 1874, is an oil landscape depicting a dense woodland scene. This work is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It captures a specific natural environment that was a frequent subject for artists of the period, reflecting a broader interest in direct observation of nature.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Narcisse Virgilio Díaz (1807–1876) was a French artist, born in Bordeaux.
