Artwork
Landscape with Figures
Landscape with Figures is an oil painting by the Barbizon school artist Constant Troyon. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The composition reflects the genre of landscape painting, emphasizing atmospheric depth and careful modeling of light and form.
Landscape with Figures is an oil painting executed on a wooden support, as recorded in the work’s technical data. The painting measures roughly 26.0 cm in height and 34.9 cm in width, dimensions cited in the catalog entry. Its surface was built up with oil pigments applied in a conventional manner typical of mid‑19th‑century French landscape practice, producing a naturalistic rendering of terrain and human figures that integrate into the surrounding scenery.
The composition reflects the genre of landscape painting, emphasizing atmospheric depth and careful modeling of light and form. The work’s provenance traces from William A. Clark to the Corcoran Gallery of Art and later to the National Gallery of Art.
History & Provenance
Created by Constant Troyon during the mid-19th century, this oil painting on wood was once part of the collection of William A. Clark in New York. Upon Clark's death in 1925, the work was bequeathed to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1926. The painting remained in the Corcoran's holdings until 2014, at which point it was acquired by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Landscape with Figures is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It entered the National Gallery's collection in 2014, having been acquired from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which had received the painting in 1926 as part of the bequest of William A. Clark (1839–1925) of New York. The work is also documented as part of the Corcoran Gallery of Art's collection prior to that transfer.
No exhibition history is recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Constant Troyon, a French painter associated with the Barbizon school, created Landscape with Figures in 1850. This oil on wood painting exemplifies his early focus on naturalistic landscapes, depicting a serene rural scene where human presence is subtly integrated into the expansive environment. The artwork showcases a quiet country path, characteristic of the artist's dedication to capturing the tranquility of the French countryside.
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays a tranquil country path, where two figures, possibly an adult and a child, recede into the distance. They are enveloped by a natural setting of trees and uneven terrain, under a partly cloudy sky that allows soft light to filter through. This composition emphasizes the quiet harmony between human activity and the natural world, a common theme among artists of the Barbizon school.
Context
Constant Troyon was a prominent figure within the Barbizon school, a group of French artists who championed painting directly from nature. While Landscape with Figures reflects his early dedication to landscape subjects, Troyon later shifted his focus, achieving significant acclaim for his depictions of animals within rural settings. This work thus represents an important phase in his artistic development, predating his later specialization.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Constant Troyon was a French painter of the Barbizon school. In the early part of his career, he painted mostly landscapes. It was only comparatively late in life that Troyon found his métier as a painter of animals,…
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