Return to the Fold

Italy’s popularity among landscape artists began to decline as early as the 1820s as artists sought out new terrains. The Forest of Fontainebleau’s dynamic topography and diverse vegetation lured artists such as Théodore Rousseau, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, and Charles-Émile Jacque away from the dense and polluted city. Settling in the nearby villages of Chailly and Barbizon, these and other like-minded artists dedicated themselves to painting in plein air (open air), hoping to capture the nuances of nature’s fleeting states. Plein air painting became widely popular among artists not only in France but also around the world, and subsequently led to the emergence of Impressionism.

Madelyne Gordon, 'French Landscapes,' wall text from "Staged Meaning/Meaning Staged: Landscapes from Fisher's Permanent Collection" (January 22 - April 13, 2019).