Esquisse d’un groupe de personnages dans une forêt 

Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz sketched this group of figures in a forest, on paper, sometime in the 19th century. The work epitomizes a growing appreciation for informal art. Diaz was associated with the Barbizon school, a group of artists who rejected the formality of the academy. Instead they sought a more direct engagement with nature and the lives of rural people. Here, we see that interest in informality as the sketched figures blend seamlessly with the natural environment of the forest. The lack of finish or detail suggests an interest in the transient experience of modern life, where everything is subject to constant change. To understand this work better, one might look at exhibition reviews from the 19th century or sale records for similar sketches. The history of art is not just about the artwork itself. It's also about how that artwork circulated through society and what people said about it at the time.