Artwork
Champ de blé dans le Morvan
Champ de blé dans le Morvan is an oil painting by the Barbizon school artist Jean Baptiste Camille Corot. It dates from 1842 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon.
About this work
Overview
Jean‑Baptiste‑Camille Corot painted *Champ de blé dans le Morvan* in 1842 using oil on canvas. The composition presents a tranquil rural landscape in the Morvan area of Saône‑et‑Loire, where a wheat field stretches toward distant, gently rolling hills under a partly clouded sky.
Subject & Meaning
The scene includes a lone woman in a dark dress walking beside a cow amid tall, dry grasses, while a solitary broad‑leaved tree punctuates the field. The inclusion of everyday figures and cultivated land reflects Corot’s interest in depicting ordinary agrarian life and the relationship between humans and the natural environment.
Technique & Style
Corot employs a subtle modulation of light and shadow to model the hills and foliage, creating a sense of depth. His brushwork remains smooth yet discernible, allowing colors to blend softly and produce a calm atmosphere characteristic of the Barbizon School’s naturalistic approach.
History & Provenance
After its creation, the painting entered the collection of the Musée des Beaux‑Arts de Lyon, where it remains on display. Its acquisition contributed to the museum’s representation of mid‑19th‑century French landscape painting and the development of plein‑air practices.
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Artist & collection
Artist
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.
