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The Beech Tree

about 1855 - 1857

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, United States

A beech tree in the Forest of Fontainebleau rears back as if to begin a bow to the photographer who would so majestically immortalize it. Of the many studies Gustave Le Gray made in Fontainebleau, a popular destination for artists and vacationing Parisians in the mid-nineteenth century, this photograph is the nearest to a portrait. With its gnarly roots exposed, the tree assumes center stage, a majestic and commanding force of nature whose trunk glows in the direct sunlight as if lit from within. Its leaves shimmer in the sun's glow, making the dense foliage appear weightless.

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  • Title: The Beech Tree
  • Creator Lifespan: 1820/1884
  • Creator Nationality: French
  • Date Created: about 1855 - 1857
  • Location Created: Fontainebleau, France
  • Physical Dimensions: w41.3 x h31.6 cm
  • Type: Print
  • Rights: http://www.getty.edu/legal/copyright.html
  • External Link: http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=68557
  • Medium: Albumen silver
The J. Paul Getty Museum

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The Beech Tree (Supplemental)

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