Forest at Fontainebleau
Antoine-Louis Barye
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
Known primarily as a sculptor of predatory encounters between animal species, Barye also painted the varied landscape of the Fontainebleau Forest in a number of oil studies. Here he depicts the gorge of either Apremont or Franchard, both of which are characterized by rugged rock formations. Barye’s deliberately coarse handling of his medium provides a tactility of surface evocative of the landscape itself. He kept such works in a cupboard, showing them only to close friends and colleagues.
Caption
Antoine-Louis Barye (French, 1795–1875). Forest at Fontainebleau, n.d.. Oil on canvas, 6 3/8 × 12 1/2 in. (16.2 × 31.8 cm) frame: 16 × 22 × 3 in. (40.6 × 55.9 × 7.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased by Special Subscription, 10.92. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Artist
Title
Forest at Fontainebleau
Date
n.d.
Geography
Place made: France
Medium
Oil on canvas
Classification
Dimensions
6 3/8 × 12 1/2 in. (16.2 × 31.8 cm) frame: 16 × 22 × 3 in. (40.6 × 55.9 × 7.6 cm)
Signatures
Lower left: "BARYE"
Markings
Center of stretcher frame: Red wax seal "VENTE BARYE"
Credit Line
Purchased by Special Subscription
Accession Number
10.92
Frequent Art Questions
The painters of the Barbizon School were really interested in landscape painting; they wanted to depict nature directly, outside of the classical conventions. That's why you'll see so many landscapes in a similar style on that wall.
I do love Fontainebleau.Many of the Barbizon school painters worked in the Forest of Fontainebleau, just outside of Paris, as nature, rather than urban life, provided inspiration for their works. They got their name from the nearby village of Barbizon.
Have information?
Have information about an artwork? Contact us at