The Barbizon School and the Origins of Impressionism

The artists of the Barbizon School were a group of landscape painters of theid-19th century; they came to the village of Barbizon (just outside Paris)o paint from nature in the open air, far from the pressures of city life.any of the feature that we associate with Impressionist painting - paintingrom life and impulsive brushwork amongst others - are also found in Barbizonorks.;Adams attempts to redress the historical balance and examines lanscapeainting in the 50 years before the term "Impresioniste" was first heard inaris. The work of Barbizon artists is set against the tumultuous politicalrises that overcame France during the first ahlf of the 19th century.

Steven Adams teaches at the School of Art and Design at the University of Hertfordshire and lectures at the Victoria & Albert Museum and National Gallery in London.