In the Woods at Ville d'Avray 1835

Camille Corot painted 'In the Woods at Ville d'Avray' with oil on canvas during a time of significant social change in France, specifically between the French Revolution and the rise of industrialization. Corot's choice to depict working-class women in a natural setting offers a glimpse into the lives of those often marginalized in traditional artistic narratives. The women are presented without romanticism; they appear as integral to the landscape. They are neither idealized nor overtly sexualized. It is as though Corot recognized them as part of the environment, thus challenging the conventional, often gendered and class-based hierarchies prevalent in landscape painting. Corot’s style, which emphasizes the interplay of light and atmosphere, evokes a sense of tranquility. As viewers, we are invited to contemplate the relationship between labor, gender, and the natural world. Corot urges us to consider the often-unseen contributions of women to the social fabric.