Provenance
Estate of the artist, Paris; sold Hôtel Drouot, Paris, May 26-28, 1875, lot 68, for 3.550 fr. to M. Brame [annotated sale catalogue in object file]; Brame collection, Paris, 1875 until before 1890. Ernest May, Paris, until 1890; sold Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, June 4, 1890, lot 20, for 7.100 fr. [sale catalogue in object file]. Martin A. Ryerson (1856–1932), Chicago, by 1905 [Robault, 1905]; by descent to his wife Carrie Hutchinson Ryerson (1859–1937), Chicago, 1932 [Last Will and Testament of Martin A. Ryerson, Died August 11, 1932, copy in Institutional Archives, Art Institute of Chicago]; bequeathed to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1937.
Accession Number
25806
Medium
Oil on paper, mounted on canvas
Dimensions
29.5 × 41.7 cm (11 5/8 × 16 3/8 in.); Framed: 42 × 53.4 cm (16 1/2 × 21 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
Jean Baptiste Camille Corot's View of Genoa (1834) is an oil on paper mounted on canvas from early in the artist's career. Corot traveled to Italy in the 1820s and again in 1834, and the Italian landscape had a profound influence on his development. This view of Genoa, the great port city on the Italian Riviera, shows the city rising from the sea with its characteristic architecture. Corot's early Italian works are more detailed and structured than his later, more atmospheric landscapes, reflecting his study of the classical landscape tradition. The oil on paper technique gives the painting a fresh, sketch-like quality. The palette is bright and clear, capturing the brilliant light of the Mediterranean. This early view of Genoa is important for understanding Corot's development, showing the young artist working through the lessons of the classical tradition before developing the soft, poetic style of his maturity.
Cultural Impact
Corot's early Italian landscapes document his formative years, showing the influence of the classical tradition on his developing style.
Why It Matters
This view of Genoa captures the Mediterranean port city with a freshness that reflects the young Corot's direct engagement with the Italian landscape, the clear light and bright colors anticipating his later achievements.
