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拍品專文
In 1827, the artist himself said: 'I have only one goal in life, which I desire to pursue with constancy: that is to paint landscapes'. The present work was painted at the peak of Corot's career. The Exposition Universelle of 1855 had earned him a first class medal, and his reputation grew steadily, culminating in the Salon of 1859. It was during this period that Corot came to be recognized as the greatest French landscape painter by critics such as Philippe de Chennevières who called him a "poet of the landscape”.
Corot's work had a profound impact on a number of younger artists who eventually became members of the Impressionist movement: Berthe Morisot was his student for a period and Camille Pissarro described himself as a pupil in the Salon brochures.
Claude Monet stated in 1897: "There is only one master here - Corot. We are nothing compared to him, nothing", reflecting the sentiments of nearly every important artist who worked during Corot's lifetime.
Corot sought variety, exploring the different qualities in different regions: the serenity and hazy atmosphere of Ville d’Avray, the wild and rugged landscape around the Forest of Fontainebleau, the thick forests of the Morvan and the transparent and luminescent light of Normandy. In the present lot, Corot positions himself on the edge of the forest of Vimoutiers, Orne, near where he stayed with the collector Louis Briand in his house La Humière. The tree branches form a natural arch, whilst a glimpse of light in the distance encourages the viewer to step beyond the picture plane and into the deep forest.
Corot's work had a profound impact on a number of younger artists who eventually became members of the Impressionist movement: Berthe Morisot was his student for a period and Camille Pissarro described himself as a pupil in the Salon brochures.
Claude Monet stated in 1897: "There is only one master here - Corot. We are nothing compared to him, nothing", reflecting the sentiments of nearly every important artist who worked during Corot's lifetime.
Corot sought variety, exploring the different qualities in different regions: the serenity and hazy atmosphere of Ville d’Avray, the wild and rugged landscape around the Forest of Fontainebleau, the thick forests of the Morvan and the transparent and luminescent light of Normandy. In the present lot, Corot positions himself on the edge of the forest of Vimoutiers, Orne, near where he stayed with the collector Louis Briand in his house La Humière. The tree branches form a natural arch, whilst a glimpse of light in the distance encourages the viewer to step beyond the picture plane and into the deep forest.