Rome, Coliseum, View from the Farnese Gardens 

This painting of the Coliseum, from the Farnese Gardens, was made by Camille Corot using oil paints on canvas. The visible brushstrokes across the canvas show Corot’s methods. You can see he is interested in the ways that light and shadow can create mood and atmosphere. The texture of the canvas is built up with layers of paint, creating a sense of depth and volume, particularly in the trees. The thin application of the paints gives the sky a hazy, dreamlike quality, contrasting with the solid, grounded forms of the architecture. Corot’s artistic practice was rooted in direct observation and plein air painting, influenced by the landscape. His commitment to working outside, ‘en plein air’, allowed him to capture the immediacy of his sensory experience. This approach elevated landscape painting within the hierarchy of fine art. By emphasizing the physical act of painting, and the social context of making art outdoors, Corot challenges us to reconsider traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.