The Great Oaks of Old Bas-Bréau (1864)

Théodore Rousseau was a prominent French landscape painter connected with the Barbizon school, a movement that arose in the mid-1800s. Rejecting the academic conventions of landscape art, the Barbizon painters chose to depict nature directly from life. Rousseau emerged as one of the principal figures in this movement, playing a crucial role in establishing landscape painting as a respected and independent genre within French art.

Born in Paris in 1812 to a bourgeois family, Rousseau received only basic artistic instruction in his early years. Nevertheless, his innate gift for painting soon became evident. Although his father initially doubted his choice, he ultimately encouraged Rousseau to pursue an artistic vocation rather than a traditional business career, a support that proved vital during Rousseau’s troubled relationship with the Paris Salon, the official exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts.

By devoting himself to painting outdoors in the forests near Barbizon, Rousseau was able to capture the shifting moods and unspoiled beauty of the French countryside. His artworks are marked by delicate, atmospheric interpretations of trees, skies, and rural vistas, frequently expressing a deep sense of calm and reverence for nature. His dedication and approach inspired many contemporaries, among them Jean-François Millet.

Rousseau endured frequent struggles with the Salon authorities throughout his career, confronting repeated rejections and being barred from exhibitions. Even so, his unwavering resolve eventually earned him acknowledgment, and his landscapes are now recognized for their significant impact on the development of the genre, preparing the way for artists like the Impressionists. Rousseau’s enduring legacy is that of an artist who elevated landscape painting to new heights in France.