Orchard 1865 - 1869

Curator: Right, let's talk about this landscape here – "Orchard" by Charles-Francois Daubigny, painted between 1865 and 1869 using oil on canvas. What strikes you first about it? Editor: Well, it feels like early spring to me. There's a sort of gauzy light, a nascent green. Everything's kind of… soft-edged. The air smells sweet, somehow. You can practically feel the sun, warm but not overpowering, and everything in the foreground is bathed in sunlight! Curator: Interesting, yes! Daubigny was a key figure in the development of plein-air painting, working outside directly in front of the motif. So it’s fascinating that he captures these momentary sensory details so accurately. Note his bold brushstrokes, indicative of an almost hurried pace as he records what’s right in front of him. Editor: He certainly simplifies the shapes, but not in a crude way. More like reducing it to its most elemental... tree-ness, grass-ness, cloud-ness. This almost evokes a sensory-overloaded scene when a gentle breeze comes about, the scents, the shades all in gentle unison... Is it me or is he a Romantic turned Impressionist?! Curator: You are not far off...He was transitioning into impressionism. Daubigny, like many artists of his time, stood on the bridge between romanticism and impressionism, clearly depicting emotionality via nature but leaning heavily into newer techniques to capture that fleeting atmosphere. Notice the horizon line in this painting. It nearly divides it in half and has those almost vaporous clouds kissing those treetops from behind. He flattens perspective yet the depth feels complete. It invites me in to reflect! Editor: It's really about experiencing a fleeting impression. Very poetic really! A world on the verge of a major shift artistically, personally, societally...and there you have a small orchard to bring peace and offer tranquility. Well! That's worth the visit!