Explore Forest of Fontainebleau

Read About This Painting by Théodore Rousseau

This painting by Théodore Rousseau depicts a corner of the Forest of Fontainebleau known as Bas-Bréau, near the artist’s home in the village of Barbizon, France. Rousseau became interested in Bas-Bréau beginning in the winter of 1836–37, and he continued to paint in this area throughout his career. In 1853, he submitted a petition to the Duke of Morny, a politician close to Napoleon III. In it, he protested the commercial exploitation of the trees and rocks of Bas-Bréau, and requested its protection.

Rousseau used a variety of energetic brush marks to create this magical evening moment in the ancient forest. At the center of the painting are Rousseau’s beloved oaks, a central motif of this great landscape painter’s work. In the distance at the right is an open plain, above which looms a late afternoon sky. A thinly sketched single figure and herd of cows make their way around a bend toward a pond, whose surface reflects the milky light of the sky. In the foreground, earth, boulders, grass, and broken branches are barely suggested.

The dramatic focus of the artwork converges on the trunk, branches, and foliage of a central live oak tree. On either side, two dead trees are rendered as sharp splintered forms with quick upward strokes. The graphic shapes of the central oak tree’s knobbly branches fascinated the artist. Sunlight reflects off the pond and up into the branches, filtering through the foliage in a range of earthy greens and browns.

Questions

Write or discuss your responses.

• What is the subject of this painting?

• What do you notice about the color, brushstrokes, and amount of detail?

• Théodore Rousseau called his drawings of trees “portraits.” Looking at this painting, why do you think he would have said this?

A design, shape, or idea that repeats throughout an artwork.