Le gros arbre 1865 - 1870

Camille Corot made this oil painting, titled "Le gros arbre", at some point in the 19th century. Corot was working at a time when French art institutions still privileged historical and allegorical scenes. It was through the official Salons that artists made their name. While Corot did produce some historical paintings early in his career, he is best known for landscapes such as this one. Looking at "Le gros arbre" we can see how Corot was interested in capturing the natural world around him. But this seemingly simple scene reflects a changing relationship to the land. In this period the French countryside was being reshaped by new agricultural practices and by the expansion of the railway. Landscape painting became a way of negotiating anxieties about modernization. To understand Corot's role in this changing social landscape, we can look to letters, diaries, and exhibition reviews from the period. It is through studying these resources that the historian can place the work of art in its social and institutional context.