Italian Landscape

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot’s Italian Landscape takes us back to when the artist was a young student dedicating himself to art in Italy. Unlike his famous later works that are soft and misty, this painting is remarkably crisp and clear.

Corot painted this outdoors, directly observing the powerful Mediterranean light. He focused on making the shadows sharp and the forms of the hills and structures solid and well-defined. This was his honest, rigorous way of training his eye: focusing on structure and geometry before he developed his soft, signature style. The work connects the peaceful scene in the present with history, showing human life continuing quietly alongside the enduring beauty of the land.