Remembrance of Italy by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot

Remembrance of Italy

Jean Baptiste Camille Corot · 1866

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“Stop and observe how this etching, a "Remembrance of Italy," conjures a serene, almost dreamlike landscape. Notice the soft, hazy quality that makes the scene feel like a cherished memory.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

This etching invites us into a serene Italian landscape, rendered with a delicate touch that captures the soft light and atmospheric depth Corot often sought. We see a cluster of trees, their foliage a hazy mass, framing a distant view of what appears to be a town or village nestled on a hillside. The foreground features a calm body of water reflecting the sky, with a few small figures dotting the scene, perhaps fishing or simply enjoying the tranquil setting. This print, made around 1866, revisits the artist's formative travels to Italy decades earlier, suggesting a memory rather than a direct observation, a dreamlike evocation of the Italian countryside. The choice of etching allows for a nuanced interplay of light and shadow, creating a sense of timelessness and quiet contemplation.

DETAILS
Artist
Jean Baptiste Camille Corot
Date
1866
Medium
Etching on tan laid paper
Location
Art Institute of Chicago
Dimensions
Image: 29.3 × 22 cm (11 9/16 × 8 11/16 in.); Plate: 32 × 24.3 cm (12 5/8 × 9 5/8 in.); Sheet: 42 × 29 cm (16 9/16 × 11 7/16 in.)
Collection
Prints and Drawings
Culture
France
Credit line
Elizabeth Hammond Stickney Collection
ART MOVEMENTS
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

Remembrance of Italy
01

The feathery, almost blurred quality of the tree foliage.

02

Tiny figures near the water's edge, adding scale to the scene.

03

The distant town subtly emerging from the misty hills.

04

The soft reflections on the water, mirroring the sky above.

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THE ARTIST

Jean Baptiste Camille Corot

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, a pivotal French landscape painter, masterfully bridged Neo-Classicism with the emerging plein-air innovations of Impressionism.

Read Corot’s full story
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More works to explore

Beyond Corot and Naturalism: works from the same years, and from the other movements Remembrance of Italy belongs to.

The Estuary Farm Same movement · Barbizon school The Estuary Farm Léon-Victor Dupré · 1831 · Art Institute of Chicago Two Boats in a Storm Same era · 1850s–1880s Two Boats in a Storm Léon-Victor Dupré · 1870 · Art Institute of Chicago Woman Feeding Chickens Same movement · Barbizon school Woman Feeding Chickens Jean-François Millet · 1850 · Art Institute of Chicago The Backgammon Players Same era · 1850s–1880s The Backgammon Players Philip Webb · 1861 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Paris Street; Rainy Day Same era · 1850s–1880s Paris Street; Rainy Day Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago In the Auvergne Same era · 1850s–1880s In the Auvergne Jean-François Millet · 1866 · Art Institute of Chicago Seashore, Morning Same era · 1850s–1880s Seashore, Morning William Hart · 1866 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Banks of the Marne in Winter Same era · 1850s–1880s The Banks of the Marne in Winter Camille Pissarro · 1866 · Art Institute of Chicago
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