A Clearing in the Forest of Fontainebleau

Just touched with red, the tiny figure far down the road is the only human presence in Théodore Rousseau’s luminous landscape. Celebrating nature above humankind, Rousseau was an outspoken naturalist who nurtured the Barbizon group’s enduring respect for the ancient woods of Fontainebleau. Here he conveys the clarity and dewy calm of a spring morning as the first rays of sun bathe the ancient oaks of the forest in a golden glow. The site depicted is the Carrefour de la Reine-Blanche—the Crossroads of the White Queen—a glade in the forest not far from Barbizon.

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