A Pond in Picardy c. 1867

This is Camille Corot’s "A Pond in Picardy," painted sometime in the mid-19th century, using the very traditional materials of oil paint on canvas. Corot worked during a time when painting was becoming rapidly industrialized, with standardized pigments and commercially produced canvases. Yet his art resists this shift towards mass production, emphasizing instead a sensitivity to atmosphere and tone. The earthy palette – browns, greens, greys – speaks to Corot’s close observation of the French countryside. He was not interested in the high-keyed colors that were just then appearing on the market. Look closely, and you'll notice the rough texture of the paint surface, a testament to the artist's direct engagement with his materials, very different to smooth academic paintings. There's a kind of labor on display here. In Corot's hands, paint becomes a means of conveying the quiet dignity of rural life, far removed from the bustling factories and cities of industrializing France. He wasn’t alone in his generation in seeking out this authenticity.