Realism, Pre-Impressionism, & Pre-Raphaelites

Camille Corot

Born on July 16, 1796, as Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot in Paris, France, this prolific artist was well-known for his landscape paintings that later influenced Impressionist painters. Born to rich parents, Camille dreamed of becoming a painter.

The Bridge at Narni (c.1827) shown at the 1827 Paris Salon, when he was still in Italy- was the first of his major works. Corot always spent spring and summer painting outdoors, creating small oil nature sketches and drawings, and would work on larger pieces in his studio during the winter.

Camille studied at the Louvre, with private lessons from Achille-Etna Michallon and Jean-Victor Bertin, followers of Neoclassical painter Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes.

His painting of the Forest of Fontainebleau (c.1834), was a major turning point in his career. This painting was awarded a second-class medal. It gave him the right to showcase his work in future exhibitions without approval from a jury.

Eventually, Camille would travel to Rome and upon returning, declared to his friend that he will paint landscapes and never get married, a statement that remained true for the rest of his life. He later achieved popularity through painting poetic landscapes, with sensitive tones and silvery colours.

Hagar in the Wilderness (c.1835), Corot implemented classical and religious figures in his work, which also secured him fame.

Corot regularly showcased his work in the 1830s, earning him critical success. Collectors then became eager for his work in the 1850s. Corot started and gave lessons to impressionists such as Camille Pissaro and had many pupils studying under his wing, also earning the name “Papa Corot” for his kindness and generosity.

Near the end of his life, Corot actually painted portraits and figure studies, but they were almost close to never being exhibited. The Woman with the Pearl (c.1868-70) showcased his mastery of tonal values.

By the time of his death on February 22,1875, Corot established a foundation for landscape painters in the Impressionism Art Movement and became highly respected. Respect- well-deserved for an artist with a kind heart and mastered tuning towards landscapes with tones and colour.

Interrupted Reading (c.1870), was another of his painted portraits created late in his career.

WORKS CITED

  • Bowness, Alan. “Camille Corot.” Biographies, 12 July 2019. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Camille-Corot. Accessed 27 Oct. 2019.
  • Gombrich, E.H. “Permanent Revolution: The nineteenth century” The Story of Art, by Ernst Hans. GOMBIRCH, 16th ed., Phaidon, 1995

IMAGES OBTAINED FROM

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge_at_Narni#/media/File:Jean-Baptiste-Camille_Corot_006.jpg
  • https://www.britannica.com/biography/Camille-Corot/Years-of-success#/media/1/138362/180442
  • https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/38.64/
  • https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Camille_Corot_-_Woman_with_a_Pearl.jpg
  • https://www.britannica.com/biography/Camille-Corot/Years-of-success#/media/1/138362/59883
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