The Banks of the River 

Charles-François Daubigny made this oil on panel painting titled "The Banks of the River" in France in the mid-nineteenth century. Its subdued palette and naturalistic depiction of the landscape place it within the Barbizon School, which was a rejection of the formality of academic painting that was favoured by the French Royal Academy. This style of landscape painting was a conscious movement away from the French Academy, which upheld a rigid hierarchy of genres, with history painting at the top. The Barbizon painters sought to elevate the status of landscape painting by focusing on the beauty and grandeur of nature, rather than on historical or mythological subjects. The Barbizon school was of great influence on the development of Impressionism. To understand Daubigny's significance, we might consult exhibition reviews of the time, correspondence between artists, and the records of art societies and academies. By situating the artwork within its historical context, we can better appreciate its meaning and significance as a reflection of its time.