Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot

Original Prints: Etchings, Lithographs, and Glass Prints

An innovative printmaker who mastered a variety of media (etching, lithography, and glass printing), Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot (1796 - 1875) broke away from the dominant neo-classical and romantic traditions of the period, evolving toward a more naturalistic approach, yet retaining a certain lyrical verve.

As the guiding figure for the Barbizon school beginning in the 1830s, and a precursor of impressionism, he pioneered the idea of working out-of-doors, rendering atmosphere, while his travels in Italy gave him a taste for airy light as well as poetic effect: his freely handled landscapes, ever enlivened with tiny figures, almost seem to breathe.

Paysage d'Italie Landscape in Italy Robaut 3129, Delteil 7, Melot 7 etching, 1866, the 1st state (of 4), one of only a few proofs before letters A splendid example of Corot's reminiscences, this sombre piece was his third and last contribution to the Société des Aquafortistes.

Souvenir des Fortifications de Douai Recollection of the Fortifications at Douai Robaut 3134, Delteil 12, Melot 12 etching, circa 1869-70, the 1st (and only) state, a very rare lifetime proof of this remarkable late print (see Le Dôme Florentin, below)

Le Dôme Florentin The Florentine Dome Robaut 3135, Delteil 13, Melot 13 etching, circa 1869-70, the 1st state (of 3), a very rare lifetime proof These two prints (this and the preceding) are Corot's very last etchings, and should be counted among his masterpieces, with a facture that is as hardy as it is lyrical. Whether of a site in northern France that he visited often in his later years (as above), or the Tuscan capital that he had not seen for decades (as at left), the subjects are but pretexts giving free rein to his graphic virtuosity.

Le Cavalier dans les Roseaux The Horseman in the Reeds Robaut 3145, Delteil 22, Melot 22 lithograph, 1871, the 1st state (of 2), an extremely rare trial proof Joining his friend Alfred Robaut in the spring of 1871, Corot's last visit to Douai yielded a series of remarkable lithographs, here a windswept view of the dunes on the North Sea near Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Le Fort Détaché The Outlying Fort Robaut 3154, Delteil 32, Melot 32 lithograph, 1874, the only known state One of Corot's very last prints, this fine lithograph is again typical of the artist's broad and airy landscapes.

Saltarelle Saltarello Robaut 3194, Delteil 75, Melot 75 glass print, 1858, the very rare first state (of 2) One of Corot's best known glass prints (or cliché-verre), and one of the few with animated figures in the foreground, this fine piece shows his fascination with rustic Italian themes.        next artist  >