Master Outdoor Painters
Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot By Armand Cabrera
Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot was born in Paris on July 26, 1796. His mother and father were well-to-do merchants in the textile trade. He was educated at Rouen in Northwestern France and was apprenticed to a draper.
After the death of Corot’s sister in 1814, his father gave him the income from her dowry. This allowed the young Corot to pursue a career in art and never have to be concerned about money for the rest of his life.
At 26 years of age, Corot pursued formal studies with Achille-Etna Michallon. Michallon died six months later. Corot then sought instruction in the studio of Jean-Victor Bertin. Both Michallon and Bertin were students of Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes, who encouraged his students to work from life outdoors in all types of weather and under diverse lighting situations. Bertin and Michallon passed this idea onto Corot who continued the practice his entire career.
Corot is one of the fathers of the modern landscape movement. He challenged the French Academy’s idea of traditional landscape motifs for a more natural and spontaneous approach to painting. This was not an immediate process for Corot. He continued to paint historical and allegorical scenes for the Salons throughout his career as an artist, although he challenged the rigid structure of their system.
Corot’s paintings from life were painted with rapid, loose brushwork. His goal was to capture the scene accurately, without embellishment. He was not concerned with finish. Using his sketches as guides, he brought that same brushwork and sense of lighting to his large studio pieces. His acceptance in established circles came slowly, receiving a Cross of Legion of Honor in 1846. It was with the younger generation of painters that Corot had the most profound impact. Boudin, Monet and the other Impressionists revered him.
In the last ten years of his life, Corot earned large sums of money for his paintings, which were highly sought after. He was also a patron of the arts, helping many young painters with advice and monetary support. Corot died in Paris on February 22, 1875.
Bibliography:
In the Light of Italy: Corot and Early Open Air Painting
Phillip Conisbee
1996 The National Gallery of Art Washington DC
The Barbizon School & the Origins of Impressionism
Steven Adams
1994 Phaidon Press
Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot was born in Paris on July 26, 1796. His mother and father were well-to-do merchants in the textile trade. He was educated at Rouen in Northwestern France and was apprenticed to a draper.
