Artwork
A View of Herblay
A View of Herblay is an oil painting by the Barbizon school artist Charles François Daubigny. It dates from 1869 and is held in the collection of the National Galleries Scotland.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1869, *A View of Herblay* is an oil painting by French landscape artist Charles‑François Daubigny. The work presents a tranquil river scene framed by trees, with distant structures and a church spire perched on a hill. It belongs to the collection of the Scottish National Gallery.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a quiet stretch of water reflecting a muted sky, bordered by verdant foliage. In the background, modest buildings and a church tower emerge from the horizon, suggesting a rural settlement integrated with its natural surroundings.
Technique & Style
Daubigny employs a palette of blues, grays, greens and earth tones, applying oil paint with discernible brushwork that adds surface texture. The handling of light and atmosphere aligns with the Barbizon school’s practice of painting en plein air, emphasizing direct observation of the landscape.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the holdings of the Scottish National Gallery, where it remains on view. Its acquisition reflects the 19th‑century interest of British institutions in French landscape painting and the growing reputation of Daubigny as a forerunner of Impressionism.
Context
Daubigny was a central figure in the Barbizon movement, a group of artists who turned away from academic conventions to depict the French countryside with realism and emotional depth. *A View of Herblay* exemplifies this shift, foregrounding natural light and the quiet dignity of a specific locale.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles-François Daubigny ( DOH-bin-yee, US: DOH-been-YEE, doh-BEEN-yee, French: ; 15 February 1817 – 19 February 1878) was a French painter, one of the members of the Barbizon school, and is considered an important precursor of…
Village on a river, sunset
Boatyard at Saint-Mammès
Sunset on a River
The Village of La Celle-sous-Moret
The Seine at La Garenne Saint-Denis
Washerwomen on the Banks of the Touques
Trouville Harbour
The Path to the Old Ferry at By
Saint-Mammès, Morning
Cottages at Barbizon: Evening
Bords de l'Oise près de Pontoise
The Lake