Fontainebleau, Sommet De Carrière Boisée 

Camille Corot created this evocative landscape study of Fontainebleau using oil on canvas. At first glance, the painting presents a harmonious scene, yet its power lies in the delicate balance of form and texture. The composition hinges on a contrast between the rough, earthy foreground and the ethereal sky. Note how Corot uses a limited palette to create a sense of unity, but also tension. The muted browns and greens of the rocks and foliage are juxtaposed against the cool blues of the sky, creating a visual push and pull. This tension destabilizes traditional landscape painting, which often seeks to create an illusion of depth and space. Corot's brushwork is particularly striking. He uses short, broken strokes to capture the texture of the rocks and trees, while the sky is rendered with smoother, more fluid brushstrokes. The resulting effect is one of immediacy and spontaneity, as if the painting were created in a single breath. This foregrounding of the painting's materiality reflects a broader shift in artistic concerns, from representation to expression.