Inside the forest grove at Vieux Dormoir du Bas-Bréau (Fontainebleau forest) 1867

Editor: Here we have Théodore Rousseau's "Inside the forest grove at Vieux Dormoir du Bas-Bréau (Fontainebleau forest)" from 1867, an oil painting. It’s currently housed at the Musée d'Orsay. I'm immediately drawn to how Rousseau uses light; it’s not overly bright, more of a filtered glow, which gives the scene such depth. What stands out to you, with regard to the formal elements? Curator: Note how Rousseau structures the composition. The verticality of the trees establishes a clear rhythm. The repetition of their forms leads the eye, however, there are also these counter-movements in the lower quadrant to prevent this movement from being monotonous. Editor: I see what you mean about the rhythm of the trees. They definitely control where my eye goes, like columns in a cathedral. Does the light help accentuate that structure, too? Curator: Precisely. Notice the chiaroscuro effect. The darker, shadowed areas amplify the structural importance of the lighter tree trunks. Furthermore, examine the surface texture. It appears quite thick, doesn’t it? The impasto technique certainly brings another dimension to this forest. Do you see that the surface reflects the way it feels to be inside of the forest? Editor: The thicker paint does give it a tangible sense of nature, almost as though you could touch the bark and leaves. It seems like the way he uses oil paint itself adds another element to this landscape, to the subject of the work. Curator: Yes. Rousseau's formal handling elevates the representational landscape towards something almost tactile. In his organization of mass, texture, line, and illumination, there is both a tension between realism and something further that the image signifies through purely painterly terms. Editor: I appreciate how you put that! Seeing it as an interaction of realism and brushwork gives me a completely new view of it. Curator: And I hope looking at how Rousseau emphasizes the intrinsic qualities, its composition, use of impasto and semiotics has given you additional aspects to analyze within a piece like this.