What was the Barbizon School? What were its goals?
This was a group of artists (not a formal school) who met and worked in the village of Barbizon, due to all the unrest (and cholera) in Paris during the 1848 revolution. These artists were connected by a common style, and by their interests, which lay somewhere between Romanticism and the newly emerging Realism. They were inspired by the English painter Constable, who painted outdoors and made nature his main subject, not merely a backdrop to the action; Constable showed his works in the 1824 Salon de Paris. Barbizon artists wanted to portray the French landscape with the same energy and enthusiasm. Since they were living in the countryside, they also began painting peasants and scenes of village life. Their common style consisted of loose brushwork, soft forms, and an earthy colour scheme.
It’s funny to see how each artist focused on different aspects of village life around them, almost like they were fighting over territory. Troyon painted cows. Jacque painted sheep. Dupre focused on trees and skies. Rousseau painted panoramic landscapes. Millet focused on peasants and farmers. Daubigny painted rivers, even building a floating studio he called his “little box”. You can imagine them at a table arguing over who would paint what.
A bit of historical context:
This is a lesser known group of artists, in between major movements. They were friends with romantic painters, like Corot who came to visit, and the later impressionists who also came to Fontainbleau to paint. When you see their works and loose brushwork, you see that the impressionists weren’t quite so revolutionary after all. You’d have a hard time telling apart some of their works, and you might even say that some of the Barbizon painters became impressionists themselves, especially as they also painted outside.
The underlying philosophy of the school:
These artists wanted to celebrate the nature and countryside of France. They also wanted to preserve it, campaigning for the government to create nature preserves in their Fontainebleau area.
How was it represented in the other arts – music, architecture, and literature?
It wasn’t.
Was it great?
Some of the works of these artists are truly breathtaking, especially their greatest pieces that were meant for Paris salons. Then, there are also a lot of sketches and less inspiring works. This is a point in art history where collectors started saving everything, the good and the bad, so it’s a bit like seeing an artist’s dirty laundry. Romantic poets of the time were treated similarly––every little scrap of poetry was saved. Barbizon painters make a good case study in landscape composition with common mistakes and how to fix them. Some people might complain of repetition, but if you love nature, these artists deliver.
Some leading figures:
Narcisse Virgilio Díaz de la Peña (1807-1876)
Constant Troyon (1810-1865)
Jules Dupré (1811-1889)
Théodore Rousseau (1812-1867)
Charles-Emile Jacque (1813-1894)
Jean-François Millet (1814-1875)
Charles-François Daubigny (1817-1878)
Henri-Joseph Harpignies (1819-1916)
Jeanna Bauck (Swedish, 1840-1926)
Some of the greatest artworks of the school:
'The Little Bridge in the Forest', by Théodore Rousseau, 1828-30
Painted between the ages of sixteen to eighteen, this highly detailed and brightly coloured forest scene was one of his first works to appear in the Paris Salon, where he would struggle for acceptance for the next two decades. Between 1836-41 he was rejected nine times. The Neoclassical jurors rejected him as a romantic, but he was popular in the press. Note how his style will change over time.
'The Outskirts of Granville', by Théodore Rousseau, 1833
This wild landscape, painted in great detail, was another of his earlier works, and shows a great deal of John Constable’s influence. One can see a pair of children walking along a road while a farmer stops by a pond to let his horses drink. But these figures are small and far away. The main subject is the wild landscape with hills and rocks and scraggly trees.
'Crossroads at the Eagle's Nest, in the Forest of Fontainebleau', by Charles-François Daubigny, 1843-44
This work shows one of Daubigny’s first works after moving to Barbizon, before his style changed. Here, he works with the same colours and attention to detail as Rousseau. We see a dark, shadowy forest scene with a man and his dog walking along a road. We get a glimpse of a sunny clearing beyond the trees. Daubigny came from a family of painters and was a friend to Corot, Monet, and Cezanne.
Landscape near Crémieu, by Charles-François Daubigny, 1849
Another of Daubigny’s earlier works, this painting again demonstrates his attention to detail, and his love for capturing natural sunlight. This work shows a horse carrying a heavy load along a rocky road, while behind him, on a dramatic cliff, we see the wall of a town, and a bright clear sky above. Stark shadows along the road and under the trees highlight the intense beat of the sun.
A Cow in a Landscape, by Constant Troyon
This work is a study of Troyon’s favourite subject, cows. Note the difference in the highly detailed cow, and the loose, blurry background, which is there more for contrast than anything else. Note how the dark trees on the left bring out the brightness of the cow’s white back, while the light green trees around its head make a kind of halo effect, its bright white face and dark features creating a focal area of high contrast.
Dogs in the Chase, by Constant Troyon, 1853
Troyon developed greatly after travelling to the Netherlands to paint in 1846. He was influenced by the works of Potter, Cuyp, and Rembrandt, and studied them extensively. When he came back to Barbizon he made a name for himself as an animal painter. This study of two white dogs shows a painterly brushwork reflecting his years of childhood working as a porcelain painter at Sevres.
Fox in a Trap, by Constant Troyon, 1855-65
This study shows a fox howling in pain, its paw caught in a hunter’s trap.
The Big Valley of Optevoz, by Charles-François Daubigny, 1857
This work shows Daubigny’s progress after fourteen years at Barbizon. The work, showing a river with a high bank on the right, and a few small trees on the left, shows how his brushwork loosened up. There’s still attention to detail, but it feels more open and painterly. Ironically, the work feels more realistic than his earlier, more detailed works, due to his direct observation of the sky, and capturing the colours exactly as one would see them in real life. The work mirrors what you would expect from any of the early impressionists.
Forest Interior, by Théodore Rousseau, 1857
This work exemplifies Rousseau’s style after working many years in Barbizon, after he gave up on salon acceptance and went off in his own direction. It’s hard to believe this is the same man who painted The Little Bridge in the Forest, thirty years earlier. The colours and impasto brushwork are so wild and expressive, it looks post-impressionistic. Still, impressionists would have complained of his use of black.
The Sheepfold, Moonlight, by Jean-François Millet, 1860
This work shows a window into the solitary life of a shepherd as he gathers his sheep at night. Millet said, “Oh, how I wish I could make those who see my work feel the splendours and terrors of the night! One ought to be able to make people hear the songs, the silences, and murmurings of the air. They should feel the infinite. . . .”
'Starry Night,' by Jean-François Millet, circa 1850-65
I'm just showing this in case you thought Van Gogh came up with this idea all by himself. Millet painted this at least twenty years earlier.
Spring, by Jean-François Millet, 1868-73
This work was part of a series Millet worked on, illustrating the seasons. He painted a work devoted to summer, but died before he got to winter. This work includes all the important elements of spring: stormy weather and rain leading to fresh green grass and blossoming trees. A solitary farmer in the back represents man’s proper relationship with nature, respecting it while building his road, orchard, and fences.
The Old Oak, by Jules Dupré, 1870
This work exemplifies many of Dupré’s paintings, with a loose, impressionist style, focusing on singular trees, with an emphasis on the shifting warm and cool colours of the scene.
A Shepherd and His Flock, by Charles-Emile Jacque, 1880
Jacque painted many works of sheep. This is probably his best, with the stark light showing off his mastery of detail in the textures and colours of these sheep. A shepherd in the mid ground leads a mass of sheep to the right, towards the viewer. They’re in a wide open landscape. A grey day that threatens to rain, while a bit of sun peeks through, hitting the man and the sheep around him. His light colours behind the dark grey sky highlight him as well.
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