Donker vlak landschap 1773 - 1843

Georges Michel sketched this landscape in graphite, likely sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. Michel belonged to a generation of French artists captivated by landscape, who found themselves at odds with the strict hierarchies of the French Royal Academy. The Academy favored historical and mythological scenes, looking down on landscape as a less serious pursuit. The upheavals of the French Revolution, however, weakened the Academy's power, opening space for new artistic voices and subjects. Michel's choice to depict a humble, rural landscape was a subtle form of rebellion against the academic norms of his time. While the Academy promoted idealized visions of nature, Michel found beauty in the everyday French countryside. Studying his techniques and influences through archival records allows us to understand the changing social values reflected in art.