River View

1868/1872

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

Associated Names
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

Artist, French, 1796 - 1875

The painting depicts a rural scene with a wide, cloudy blue sky over a riverbank. On the right there are tall, dark green trees that stretch up to the top of the painting. On the left, we see the river stretching into the distance, with a section of grassy ground closer to us. On the left, a woman with a white cloth over her head and a dark pink skirt stands facing us, next to a dirt path framed with tall grass and pale flowers. The woman is painted with loose, visible brushstrokes. To the left and right of her are two shapes that could be cows with their backs to us, both facing the water. The cow on the left is dark brown, while the one on the right is light brown with patches of white, and appears to stand in or right next to the shallow water. The color palette includes earthy tones such as greens, browns, and soft blues. The brushstrokes are visible, giving the scene a hazy look.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on wood

  • Credit Line

    Gift of R. Horace Gallatin

  • Dimensions

    overall: 32.2 x 40.6 x 1 cm (12 11/16 x 16 x 3/8 in.)
    framed: 61 x 69.9 x 7.6 cm (24 x 27 1/2 x 3 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1949.1.2

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Sir John Charles Frederic Sigismund Day [d. 1908], Falkland Lodge, Newbury, Berkshire, by 1891;[1] (his estate sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, Ltd., London, 13 May 1909, no. 11); purchased by (Arnold & Tripp, Paris).[2] (E.J. van Wisselingh and Co., Amsterdam); sold 1909 to (M. Knoedler & Co., London, New York, and Paris);[3] sold 9 November 1909 to R. Horace Gallatin [1871-1948], New York;[4] bequest 1949 to NGA.
[1] Alfred Robaut, L'oeuvre de Corot, Paris, 1905: III:364, no. 2327 (1865-1872).
[2] Annotated catalogue of Day sale in M. Knoedler library.
[3] According to the Getty Provenance Index, quoting M. Knoedler records.
[4] See Gallatin acquisitions notebooks, NGA Gallery Archives, copy in NGA curatorial files.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1967

  • Loan for display with permanent collection, Tampa Bay Art Center, University of Tampa, Florida, 1967-1969.

1969

  • Loan for display with permanent collection, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida, 1969.

Bibliography

1905

  • Robaut, Alfred, and Etienne Moreau-Nélaton. L'Oeuvre de Corot. Catalogue raisonné et illustré. 5 vols. Paris, 1905: 3:no. 2327, as La paysanne aux deux vaches.

1965

  • Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 30.

1968

  • National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 24, repro.

1975

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 76, repro.

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. New York, 1975: 436, no. 634, color repro.

1984

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 432, no. 622, color repro.

1985

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 95, repro.

2000

  • Eitner, Lorenz. French Paintings of the Nineteenth Century, Part I: Before Impressionism. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 2000: 78-81, repro.

Inscriptions

lower right: COROT

Wikidata ID

Q20188710

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