An artwork on Galleree from The Art Institute of Chicago.
About the artwork
Souvenir of the Environs of Lake NemiJean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (French, 1796–1875)
1865
France
98.4 × 134.3 cm (38 3/4 × 52 7/8 in.); Framed: 120.7 × 156.9 × 8.9 cm (47 1/2 × 61 3/4 × 3 1/2 in.)
Oil on canvas
Bequest of Florence S. McCormick
['19th century']
['landscapes', 'clouds', 'sky', 'figure', 'foliage', 'lake', 'trees', 'water']
['oil on canvas', 'french', 'paint', 'painting', 'european painting']
['oil paint (paint)', 'canvas', 'paint', 'painting']
['oil painting', 'painting', 'painting (image making)', 'painting techniques']
This scene is imbued with a sense of quiet and stillness, broken only by the lone female bather pulling herself out of the water by a branch. Although the setting is a real hillside lake he visited in northern Italy, Camille Corot painted the view from memory, having returned to Paris in 1843 from the last of three trips to the region. Thus, rather than presenting an accurate record of the location, the painting is a picturesque souvenir, with the topography transformed as much by the artist’s silvery-gray and deep-green palette as by his fond reminiscences.
| attributed to Art Institute of Chicago under CC-By license
In the heart of northern Italy, along the gentle slopes of a hillside lake, lies a moment suspended in time. Here, the world seems to rest in a serene embrace, where the air is rich with stillness and the whispers of nature fill the space. The water glimmers, catching the light, and cradling within it the reflections of the trees that stand like sentinels along its edge.
Amidst this tranquil scene, a solitary figure emerges—the lone female bather. With a gentle grace, she pulls herself up from the embrace of the cool water, her fingers gripping a branch that reaches out to her like an old friend. The softness of the moment stands in stark contrast to the vibrant life around her. It is a fleeting respite captured in a single brushstroke.
This is not just any bather or any lake. No, this image, brushed onto canvas with the skilled hand of Camille Corot, is a tapestry woven from memory and emotion. Corot, returning to Paris in 1843 after his third sojourn in that enchanting Italian landscape, conjured this scene not as a mere replication of reality but as a heartfelt souvenir, a remnant of joy that lingered in his mind.
As he painted, the topography of the lake and its surroundings morphed under the influence of his artistry. The silvery-gray and deep-green hues spilled from his palette, mingling with the fond reminiscences of idyllic days spent by the water's edge. What was once a factual record transformed into a dreamlike vision, evoking a sense of nostalgia and quietude that resonates deeply.
In this captured moment, we find ourselves almost barefoot beside that lake—listening, watching, breathing in the peace that envelops this beautiful bather, a still point in the ever-turning wheel of time. Here, everything slows, and for just a moment, we are invited into the memory of a place where the heart finds rest.
About the artist
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