Reminiscence of the Beach of Naples

Corot traveled to Italy three times during his life, but he only visited the subject of this work, Naples, on his first trip. It is also thought that his visit to Naples was very brief. From his several small, sketch-like works of Naples Castle, Mt. Vesuvius, Ischia, and Amalfi, however, it would seem that the trip to Naples was particularly memorable. Between 1840-42 Corot created a fresco of Memories of the Naples Countryside (Musée du Louvre, Paris) for his friend Robert and exhibited View near Naples (Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield) in the 1841 Salon. This work ably displays the style of Corot's last years and is one of his last works based on the memories of his trip to Naples. One of the largest of Corot's works, this tall rectangular canvas is covered by towering leafy trees that rise on either side of the composition. This compositional structure deliberately supports the placement of Naples Bay in the background. Two women walk in the shade of the foreground trees, one holding a child, the other raising a tambourine. This type of motif can also be seen in View near Naples, but here the silvery color adds a subtle nuance to the whole composition, effectively reflecting the artist's memories of the scene. (Source: Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 2009, cat. no.60)