In the Forest of Fontainebleau : Painters and Photographers from Corot to Monet

by Kimberly Jones, with Simon Kelly, Sarah Kennel, and Helga Aurisch

• ISBN13: 9780300138979
• ISBN10: 0300138970
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2008-02-28
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

The Forest of Fontainebleau, located about 50 miles southeast of Paris, held a singular place in 19th-century art. Variously called "savage," "wild," "romantic," and "beautiful" by visitors, Fontainebleau's topography was viewed in many ways that reflected the sensibilities of the time. This is the first English-language publication to examine the significance of the region to the plein-air tradition in France. The book highlights four pivotal figures in the evolution of landscape painting: Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Theodore Rousseau, Jean-Francois Millet, and Claude Monet. It integrates into this history the photographers who worked at Fontainebleau, including Eugene Cuvelier and Gustave Le Gray, and explores the role the forest played in the development of early photography. It also considers the reception of paintings of Fontainebleau at the Salons and the influence of Fontainebleau on the advent of Impressionism.

Author Biography

Helga Aurisch is associate curator of European art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Table of Contents

Lenders to the Exhibition
Map of Fontainebleau	p. 1
Landscapes, Legends, Souvenirs, Fantasies: The Forest of Fontainebleau in the Nineteenth Century	p. 12
Plates
Discovery	p. 30
Topography	p. 42
Trees	p. 65
Rocks	p. 81
Village Life	p. 98
Nature and Observation	p. 124
The Mystery of the Forest: Paintings of Fontainebleau at the Salon	p. 140
An Infinite Museum: Photography in the Forest of Fontainebleau	p. 152
The Impressionists at Fontainebleau	p. 168
Chronology	p. 184
Notes	p. 189
Bibliography	p. 197
Index	p. 204
Photography Credits	p. 209
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