Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875), Ville d'Avray: le Bouleau, 1865-1870 |

Oil on canvas, unframed: 21 x 31 1/2 in. |
Gift from the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art (William A. Clark Collection) |

2018.15.314 

 

Towards the end of his career, Corot inherited his father’s home in Ville d’Avray, France. For decades, the ponds in the town, which Corot pictured in his work, had been the center of a large municipal dispute: did they belong to the First Republic or to the town itself? This debate and growing urbanization increased the town’s popularity and led to new infrastructure in the area. Yet, none of this development is visible in this painting or others that Corot made of the site. In Ville d’Avray, the town is pushed to the background, and a bright blue sky contrasts with the vibrant trees that frame the pond. Corot often depicted the ponds in this way—as a peaceful refuge from the city. Because the artist developed this rather formulaic approach, his paintings were easily copied, and students often worked on the “originals.” Thus, scholars have questioned both the technical authenticity and the realism of Corot’s Ville d’Avray works.