A Quarry

From about 1827 onwards Théodore Rousseau painted in the Forest of Fontainebleau. This made him one of the first artists to work in the vicinity of Barbizon. Rousseau was a classically trained artist and this approach to painting is also reflected in his work. The preparatory work for his paintings was based on sketches, both drawings and paintings, of nature…

From about 1827 onwards Théodore Rousseau painted in the Forest of Fontainebleau. This made him one of the first artists to work in the vicinity of Barbizon. Rousseau was a classically trained artist and this approach to painting is also reflected in his work. The preparatory work for his paintings was based on sketches, both drawings and paintings, of nature. He then reproduced the drawing in pen on the canvas or, as in this case, on paper. He then gradually painted in the drawing. We can see Rousseau’s dynamic method of work in this study of a quarry in which both the drawn and the painted sections of the painting are still visible.