Corot’s spirit dances here, wouldn’t you agree? Here at Place Jean-Baptiste Corot, in Châtenay-Malabry, a quiet suburb of Paris, we celebrate a man who painted light and air. Place Jean-Baptiste Corot is more than just a square. It’s a whisper of the artist’s soul, a tribute to Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, the “Father of Impressionism”. He was born in Paris, not far from here, in 1796. His family, comfortably bourgeois, ran a successful millinery shop. Young Camille, however, preferred sketching trees to selling hats.
Place Jean-Baptiste Corot reminds us of Corot’s devotion to nature. He once declared, “I have only one goal in life…to make landscapes.” He held onto this dream even while apprenticed as a draper, a trade he loathed. Finally, at 26, his father relented. Corot received an allowance, enough to support him for life, and he dove headfirst into his art. His training began with the Neoclassicists. He learned to render scenes with meticulous detail. He absorbed the principles of ideal beauty. Yet, even then, he was drawn to the realism of nature. His notebooks reveal precise drawings of trees, rocks, plants. He was laying the foundation for his unique vision, a blend of the classical and the natural.
Think of Corot here, at Place Jean-Baptiste Corot, dreaming of Italy. His trips to Italy, starting in 1825, were pivotal. He reveled in the Italian light, even despairing at capturing its intensity. He studied Roman ruins and panoramic vistas, mastering perspective and the interplay of light and shadow. But it was the countryside, the natural world, that truly captured him. He filled sketchbooks with studies made en plein air. These studies, vibrant and alive, hold the “germ of Impressionism”.
Place Jean-Baptiste Corot echoes Corot’s dedication to his craft. Back in France, he struggled for recognition. Salon critics dismissed his work. He continued to paint, undeterred. He traveled throughout France, capturing the subtle beauty of the French landscape. He found inspiration in the Forest of Fontainebleau. He painted portraits of family and friends, revealing a sensitive eye for human emotion. He painted his beloved Ville-d’Avray, the family’s country home, again and again. Finally, in the 1850s, his unique vision, his “paysages” – dreamy landscapes of remembered places – began to resonate. He became “Père Corot”, a beloved figure in artistic circles.
Here at Place Jean-Baptiste Corot, we remember Corot’s generosity. He used his success to support fellow artists and those in need. He gave generously to the poor of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. He gifted a house to the ailing Honoré Daumier. He remained humble, a man who believed that “men should not puff themselves up with pride”. Place Jean-Baptiste Corot stands as a testament to his enduring legacy. His landscapes, his figure paintings, his etchings, all whisper of a deep connection to the natural world. They are an invitation to see the world anew, with a touch of poetry, a breath of fresh air. As we leave Place Jean-Baptiste Corot, carry with you a sense of his enduring spirit, a man who painted not just what he saw, but what he felt.