Corot, Jean-Baptiste-Camille

Corot made no claims to any particular movement during his long and fruitful career, yet he might easily be considered the last Neo-Classicist or the first Impressionist for his timeless Arcadian landscapes bathed in sunlight. He is also linked to the Barbizon and Romantic movements; in subsequent decades he was - and is - lionized as France's greatest landscapist. In addition to his paintings, Corot produced a small number of etchings, mostly during the 1860s. Environs of Rome demonstrates Corot's ability to translate the tonal contrasts and atmospheric effects of his paintings to his graphic work. Corot travelled to Italy on three separate occasions and these visits had a lasting impact on his artistic production, providing him with the inspiration for more finished works throughout his life.