Corot

Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot was born in Paris on July 16, 1796, into a wealthy family of merchants running a renowned fashion boutique. After lackluster studies and an unsuccessful apprenticeship with cloth merchants, he obtained his father’s permission in 1822 to pursue a career as a painter, benefiting from a family allowance that enabled him to live without economic constraints. He entered the studio of the neoclassical landscape painter Achille Etna Michallon, who encouraged him to work outdoors, then, after the latter’s premature death, continued his training with Jean-Victor Bertin. He traveled extensively throughout France and stayed in Italy on three occasions, painting landscapes from nature and becoming one of the first artists to work in the village of Barbizon, of which he is considered one of the founders of the school. Long regarded as an amateur painter, he was not recognized until around 1850 and regularly participated in the Salons with mythological and biblical compositions as well as landscapes. Known for his remarkable philanthropy, particularly toward Daumier and Millet’s widow, he died in Paris on February 22, 1875. Sometimes called the father of Impressionism, his work with its explorations of light and his painting from nature anticipated this movement while remaining faithful to the neoclassical tradition.

Artworks

Search for an artist or an artwork