Blissexplore
logo

Eyes to behold stunning artworks in world-class museums.

Forest paintings in The Metropolitan Museum: A history of our relationship with forests

  • Vikki Griffin

Vikki Griffin

•4 min read
French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris / The Met

    Seurat spent two months in the late summer and early fall of 1881 in Pontaubert, a village southeast of Paris once frequented by Daubigny, Corot, and other Barbizon landscape painters.
    His visit inspired this sous-bois or forest glade, which Seurat probably completed that winter in the studio he shared with his traveling companion and fellow artist Aman-Jean.
    With its concert of greens, its subtle, shimmering light effects, and its vertical pattern of tree trunks, this work anticipates the verdant settings of Seurat's monumental Bathers at Asnières in London (1884) and A Sunday on La Grande Jatte in Chicago (1884 - 86).

Ville-d'Avray

French, Paris 1796–1875 Paris / The Met

    Corot often painted views of the large pond on the property he had inherited from his parents at Ville-d'Avray.
    In repeating the scene, he took certain liberties, especially with the tree just left of center.
    The silhouette of branches and foliage against the pewter sky led Corot's biographer Alfred Robaut to liken this work to a spider's web.
    Corot initially included a child with outstretched arms beside the crouching peasant woman, but he seems to have found this detail too anecdotal.
    Critics admired the calm poetry of this composition when it was first exhibited at the 1870 Salon.

Rocks at Fontainebleau

French, Aix-en-Provence 1839–1906 Aix-en-Provence / The Met

    Cézanne treated the rocks in this composition much as he did the fruits in his still lifes, rendering the shapes with passages of subtly varied color.
    Green, blue, and purple tints, with an accent of golden sunlight at center, impart a shimmering vibrancy to the stones.

Sign up for more like this.

Enter your emailSubscribe
From 14th Century To 15th Century

From 14th Century To 15th Century

During the 14th and 15th centuries, artists in Europe began to break away from the traditional Gothic style. They began to experiment with new techniques and styles, resulting in a period of great creativity and innovation in the arts. Some of the most famous artworks from this period include the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, and the sculptures of Donatello. Box with Romance Scenes     This coffret illustrated with scenes from Arthurian and other courtly literature of the M
-5 min read
From 1819 To 1826

From 1819 To 1826

The 19th century was a time of great change in the world of art. Artists began to experiment with new styles and media, and the art world was forever changed as a result. Some of the most famous artists of the time include Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Pablo Picasso. The Falls of Niagara     The painting is of Niagara Falls from the Canadian side.     The painting is based on a vignette of the falls from a map of North America published by Henry S. Tanner in 1822. Heroic Landscape w
-4 min read
From 1787 To 1800

From 1787 To 1800

The 18th century was a time of great change in the world of art. New styles and genres emerged, and artists began to experiment with new techniques and materials. The art of the 18th century reflected the changing times, and the growing interest in the natural world and the human form. Elizabeth Farren (born about 1759, died 1829), Later Countess of Derby     The Irish actress Elizabeth Farren made her London debut in 1777 and soon became one of the most popular comic performers of the day.  
-5 min read