Houses in Optevoz, France 1852

Charles-François Daubigny created this oil on canvas painting, *Houses in Optevoz, France*, now at the Art Institute of Chicago. Its subdued palette and coarse brushstrokes create a textured, almost tactile surface that evokes a quiet rural scene. Daubigny structures the composition using the buildings and landscape to frame the view. Notice how the strong horizontal lines of the houses contrast with the softer, vertical elements of the trees and figures, creating a balanced yet dynamic interplay. The artist's use of light is particularly striking; it diffuses across the scene, softening the edges and creating a sense of atmosphere. Daubigny's formal choices reflect a move away from traditional academic painting towards a more subjective and sensory experience of nature. The painting destabilizes the established hierarchy between subject and background. Daubigny emphasizes the materiality of paint, challenging conventional notions of pictorial illusionism. This self-awareness marks a significant shift in the history of painting, prefiguring later modernist explorations of medium and surface.