Collections: European Art: Forest Scene

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Forest Scene

For Diaz, like so many of the Barbizon painters, the Fontainebleau Forest outside of Paris proved a constant source of inspiration. In these two paintings, the painter adopts a similar compositional strategy, using large trees to frame a body of water or a clearing at the center of his scene. Diaz plays with the patterns of light and shadow created by sunlight filtering through the leaves onto the forest floor. He uses thick, black strokes to define the contours of the trees, as is particularly evident in the upper left corner of Forest Scene. In his autumnal pond scene, Diaz adds a touch of incident with the presence of a wood gatherer and her canine companion.


This text refers to these objects: 32.792; 51.11

• Artist: Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña, French, 1807-1876
• Medium: Oil on cradled panel
• Place Made: France
• Dates: 1844-1860
• Dimensions: 17 11/16 x 21 5/8 in. (44.9 x 54.9 cm)
• Signature: Signed lower left: "N. Diaz"
• Collections: European Art
• Museum Location: This item is on view in Beaux-Arts Court, South, 3rd Floor
• Accession Number: 51.11
• Credit Line: Gift of Charlotte R. Stillman
• Image: Overall, 51.11_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña (French, 1807-1876). Forest Scene, 1844-1860. Oil on cradled panel, 17 11/16 x 21 5/8 in. (44.9 x 54.9 cm) . Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Charlotte R. Stillman, 51.11 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 51.11_SL1.jpg)