Plaines Orléanaises c. 1860

Camille Corot made this painting, Plaines Orléanaises, with oil on canvas. What strikes me most is Corot’s embrace of straightforward, unpretentious materials. He employs the traditional medium of oil paint, but uses it to capture the immediacy of the landscape. Look closely, and you can see how the brushstrokes are laid bare, almost unblended, revealing the material quality of the paint itself. The materiality influences its appearance, with its varying opacities, textures, and the thickness of the strokes. Corot’s process reflects the rise of plein air painting, a technique made possible by the development of portable paint tubes. This innovation allowed artists to leave the studio and engage directly with their subject matter. In a way, this method democratized painting, bringing it closer to the everyday experience. By focusing on materials, making, and context, we can understand how Corot challenged traditional hierarchies within the art world, elevating the simple act of painting en plein air to a form of profound artistic expression.