Gnarled Oak Tree near l'Epine Crossroads

The relatively large number of existing prints of this oddly shaped oak tree suggest that this was one of Gustave Le Gray's most popular forest views. The tree was a well-known curiosity among Barbizon painters, who lived at the edge of the forest at Fontainebleau--outside Paris--and who painted pure, naturalistic landscapes. Le Gray captured the fine details of the tree's bark and the soft moss covering a boulder at the foot of the tree, contrasting the tree's rough texture with that of velvety moss.