Waterside landscape 1861

Curator: Painted in 1861 by Charles-Francois Daubigny, this work, entitled "Waterside Landscape," showcases the artist’s adept handling of oil paint on canvas. Editor: It’s all mood, isn’t it? That kind of still, eerie beauty… It’s almost unnerving. I feel like I’m about to stumble into a scene from a gothic novel. Curator: Daubigny, along with others like Corot, represents a move towards direct observation and naturalism in landscape painting during this period, pre-dating Impressionism. His commitment to “plein air” or painting outdoors really shifted artistic practices. Editor: I love that dedication – setting up the easel right there by the murky waters. You can almost feel the damp air seeping into the canvas. I get a strong sense of quiet desperation from this, that someone is struggling alone. Curator: The shadows are quite heavy, and Daubigny frequently exhibited at the Salon, the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. But what's interesting is that these paintings weren't always critically celebrated despite the institutional support, especially later in his career as his style grew more progressive. Editor: Right. It probably hit a nerve—disrupting idealized landscape traditions with something altogether rawer. Makes you think about what was deemed "acceptable" or beautiful. I imagine a lot of pearl-clutching! All that brooding light. Curator: Absolutely. This era was a turning point in landscape's perceived value and purpose, from serving primarily as backgrounds for allegorical or historical painting, into something worthwhile on its own. Editor: Well, I am thankful it was deemed worthy. Looking at the artist’s shadowy silhouette and all the surrounding gloom is worth the visit all by itself. Curator: Indeed. Considering its context in art history certainly makes it a rich experience, no matter what you're seeing in its aesthetics or the lack thereof! Editor: Agreed, there is something haunting and enduring about witnessing a scene of such atmospheric transience. I won't be forgetting it anytime soon.