La pêche en barque auprès des saules c. 1870

Camille Corot made this oil on canvas painting, La pêche en barque auprès des saules, in France, but the exact date remains unknown. His work is often associated with the Barbizon School, a group of artists who turned away from academic painting and towards direct observation of nature. This focus on landscape reflected broader social changes. The rise of industrialization led to a growing interest in rural life as a source of national identity. But Corot's landscapes weren't simply records of what he saw. They were carefully composed images, often idealized to convey a sense of harmony and order. The figures in the boat, for example, seem at peace with their surroundings. How might this image have served the values of the emerging middle class? It’s questions like these that encourage us to consider the social and cultural work that art performs, and to delve into historical sources to understand that work more fully.