Corot Barbizon c1910 Pastoral Landscape Print by Teyssonnieres

Description

This Corot Barbizon landscape print presents a pastoral composition after Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796–1875), engraved by Teyssonnières. The impression is dated circa 1910. It brings together trees, country figures and grazing cattle in a landscape that reflects the quiet rural subjects associated with Corot and the Barbizon tradition.

A substantial group of trees occupies the centre and left of the composition. Their dense foliage creates a dark canopy above the open ground. The branches and leaves are described through closely worked lines, giving the woodland a rich texture and a strong presence within the scene.

At the left edge, a rustic building is partly hidden behind vegetation. Its sloping roof introduces a simple architectural feature without competing with the trees. Bushes and uneven ground connect the building to the surrounding countryside, making it part of the landscape rather than a separate focal point.

Three figures stand together on the path in the foreground. Their small scale emphasises the height of the trees and the breadth of the setting. Another figure appears farther away on the right, helping to carry the eye towards the lighter distance.

Cattle occupy the open ground beneath the trees. Together with the figures and the rustic building, they give the landscape its pastoral character. The scene combines everyday country life with a carefully balanced arrangement of light, shade and space.

The right side opens towards a pale horizon. This lighter area provides a contrast to the deeply shaded foliage and allows the composition to breathe. Fine horizontal lines describe the sky, while more varied marks define the plants, earth and tree trunks.

The appeal of this Corot Barbizon landscape print lies partly in these changes of texture. The foliage is densely worked, the path is more open, and the distant scenery is lightly indicated. The engraver translates the landscape into a range of dark and light values that remain effective without colour.

Corot’s name appears prominently above the image, and the French title “Paysage”, meaning “Landscape”, is printed below. Teyssonnières is named on the print as the engraver. These inscriptions distinguish the artist responsible for the source composition from the printmaker who interpreted it.

The lower right margin also carries the printer’s inscription “Imp. A. Salmon & Ardail Paris”. This printed credit is retained within the surviving margins, alongside the title and other lettering. The sheet therefore offers both a landscape image and useful evidence of its production.

The work is offered as a drypoint print, with an impression dating from around 1910. The date refers to the printing of this sheet. It should not be understood as the date of Corot’s original composition, since Corot died in 1875.

Barbizon is used here as an artistic association. The print is titled simply “Paysage”, and the specific location represented has not been established. Its appeal to collectors of the Barbizon school comes from its connection with Corot and its treatment of trees, rural figures and the countryside.

The complete sheet measures 25.7 × 17.5 cm. The engraved image measures 19.9 × 11.6 cm. The horizontal composition is surrounded by margins, with a visible plate impression enclosing the image and lettering.

The paper has a cream tone with scattered small spots and signs of age. Pencil annotations are present on the reverse. Please examine the photographs of both sides for the paper surface, margins, plate impression and overall condition.

This Corot Barbizon landscape print would complement a collection of French landscape engravings, pastoral subjects or prints after nineteenth-century painters. The combination of a substantial tree group, small country figures and an open distance gives it a calm decorative character.

Artist of the source composition: Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot.
Engraver: Teyssonnières.
Title on the sheet: Paysage.
Stated technique: drypoint.
Impression: circa 1910.
Sheet: 25.7 × 17.5 cm.
Engraved image: 19.9 × 11.6 cm.