Provenance
C. Tempelaere, Paris [stamp on back of canvas]. Henry Marcel (died 1926), Paris, by 1925 [ lent to Paris 1925, no. 724]; by inheritance to his second wife, Mme. Henry Marcel (née Marguerite Meyer, died 1940), Paris, to at least 1936 [lent to Paris 1936, no. 9]. André Weil, The Matignon Art Galleries, New York by 1942; sold to the Art Institute, December 1942.
Accession Number
45267
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
27 × 40.6 cm (10 5/8 × 16 in.); Framed: 41.3 × 54.7 cm (16 1/4 × 21 1/2 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Larned Coburn Memorial Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
Jean Baptiste Camille Corot's Monte Pincio, Rome (1840-50) is an oil on canvas depicting the Pincian Hill, a famous promenade in Rome with panoramic views of the city. Corot visited Rome several times, and the city's classical landscape provided him with inexhaustible material. Monte Pincio was a popular destination for artists and travelers, offering views of the Vatican, St. Peter's, and the Roman countryside. Corot's treatment shows the hill with its trees, paths, and figures, the city of Rome visible in the distance. The composition is balanced and harmonious, reflecting the influence of Claude Lorrain, whom Corot deeply admired. The palette is warm and atmospheric, with the greens of the foliage and the warm tones of the Roman architecture creating a harmonious whole. This painting belongs to the middle period of Corot's career, when his style was evolving from the more structured approach of his early work toward the soft, atmospheric manner of his maturity.
Cultural Impact
Corot's Roman landscapes document the city that was the center of the classical landscape tradition, showing the artist's engagement with the legacy of Claude Lorrain.
Why It Matters
This view of Monte Pincio captures the beauty of Rome from one of its most famous viewpoints, Corot's balanced composition and warm palette creating a vision of the eternal city that is both specific and ideal.
