A Village Street- Dardagny 1852

Camille Corot painted this view of a Swiss village street using oil on canvas at some point in his career. Corot was a landscape painter who lived and worked during a time of great social and political change in France and across Europe. The rise of industrialization and urbanization transformed the landscape and the lives of ordinary people. Corot often depicted rural scenes and the lives of peasants, and these landscapes can be understood as a critique of the social conditions of his time. He captured the beauty and simplicity of the natural world, and the dignity of the working class. Note how the artist captures the intimacy of village life, the woman on the steps and the cat crossing the street. In his paintings, there are no signs of modernity or industry, just a timeless world of natural beauty and simplicity. To understand Corot’s political commitments better, it is necessary to consult his letters and diaries, as well as the writings of his contemporaries. Art history offers many resources with which to better understand the social and institutional contexts of art.