Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

French, 1796-1875

Jean‑Baptiste‑Camille Corot stands as a seminal figure in 19th-century French painting, whose work bridges the academic traditions of the Neoclassical era with the sensitivity that would shape Impressionism. Born in Paris in 1796 to a well-established family, Corot did not begin painting seriously until his mid‑twenties, supported by a private stipend that allowed him to pursue art without commercial pressure. Early instruction under Achille‑Etna Michallon and Jean‑Victor Bertin rooted him in the classical landscape tradition, while his travels through Italy, beginning in 1825, awakened a lifelong engagement with natural light.

Corot’s early works show a clear, structured approach rooted in classical training, while his later paintings shift toward softer forms and imagined landscapes drawn from memory. His so-called “souvenirs” became emblematic of his mature period, blending observation with fantasy. Widely exhibited at the Paris Salon, Corot earned critical recognition during his lifetime, including a gold medal at the 1855 Exposition Universelle and the Legion of Honor.

By the 1850s, Corot had become an influential presence in the French art world, mentoring a generation of younger painters and leaving an indelible mark on the development of modern landscape painting. He continued to work steadily through the final years of his life, maintaining a studio in Ville‑d’Avray until his death in 1875. Today, Corot’s legacy endures in collections around the world as well as in major retrospectives at the Grand Palais in Paris, the National Gallery of Canada, and The Metropolititan Museum of Art in New York.