Nymphes et Faunes before 1870

Camille Corot painted *Nymphes et Faunes* with oil paint on canvas, materials that had become quite standardized by the 19th century. Corot’s loose brushwork gives this landscape a dreamy, almost ethereal quality. The texture of the paint itself is quite thin, allowing the canvas to show through in places. But don’t let the apparent ease of Corot's hand fool you. Nineteenth-century oil painting was a highly disciplined craft, with artists carefully layering paint to achieve the desired effect of light and atmosphere. This kind of painterly technique was prized by the art academies of the day, and represented a significant investment of training. Corot and his contemporaries were acutely aware of their place in this tradition, even as they pushed its boundaries. Consider how the labor and skill involved in creating this painting challenges our notions of fine art versus craft. It’s easy to overlook the material processes when we focus on the image, but they are essential to understanding its full meaning.