Willows and White Poplars (Saules et peupliers blancs)

Executed in lithography, the image relies on swift, gestural lines that convey texture and motion without detailed rendering. Corot’s handling of the stone surface produces a sketch‑like quality, allowing the tonal contrasts of light and shadow to emerge through varied pressure and ink density. The approach anticipates the looser, plein‑air methods later associated with Impressionism.

Created in the final year of Corot’s life, the lithograph was part of a series of prints he produced to disseminate his landscape studies beyond the canvas. While specific exhibition records are scarce, the work entered private collections in the late 19th century and has since been held by several European museums specializing in 19th‑century French art.