Artwork

Woman Meditating

Woman Meditating, by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot, unspecified, 1868
Woman Meditating, by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot, unspecified, 1868

Woman Meditating is an unspecified painting by the Impressionist artist Jean Baptiste Camille Corot. It dates from 1868 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Woman Meditating is a painting depicting a contemplative female figure. It is a copy of a work by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, created by one of his students, likely with the artist's permission.

Subject & Meaning

The painting shows a woman seated in profile, lost in thought, with her chin resting on her hand. Her half-closed eyes and serene expression convey a sense of calm introspection.

Technique & Style

The artist employed sfumato, a technique that blurs edges to create a soft, hazy effect, capturing the gentle play of light on the subject's face and surroundings.

History & Provenance

Initially attributed to Corot, the painting was later identified as a copy when the original, signed version, titled Jeune Femme Pensive or La Méditation, surfaced at a New York auction in 1981. The Cleveland Museum of Art acquired the copy in 1949.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Jean Baptiste Camille Corot

Artist

Jean Baptiste Camille Corot

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (UK: KORR-oh, US: kə-ROH, kor-OH; French: ; 16 July 1796 – 22 February 1875), or simply Camille Corot, was a French landscape and portrait painter as well as a printmaker in etching.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.