Charles-François Daubigny, Spring, 1862, oil on panel, Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin, artwork in the Public Domain.
The Barbizon School is a group of French painters who lived in the village of Barbizon near the Forest of Fontainebleau and worked roughly from 1830-70. A precursor to Realism, these artists’ subjects were taken from the French countryside, often depicting peasants working in the landscape. Because of the free brushwork as well as the subjects inspired directly from nature, many believe the Barbizon School influenced the Impressionists.
Charles-François Daubigny was a leader within the group. He acquired a studio boat in which he would explore the rivers Seine, Marne, and Oise. He worked outdoors and, with time, his brushwork became more open.
