Interrupted Reading
c. 1870
Medium
Oil on canvas, mounted on board
Dimensions
92.5 × 65.1 cm (36 5/16 × 25 5/8 in.); Framed: 130.9 × 104.2 × 14 cm (51 1/2 × 41 × 5 1/2 in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81512
Art Historical Context
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot’s *Interrupted Reading*, created around 1870, offers a quiet glimpse into a private moment of reflection. Although Corot is best known as a leading member of the Barbizon School for his poetic landscapes, his later career included sensitive figure studies such as this one. Painted in oil on canvas mounted on board, the work demonstrates his signature approach to soft, atmospheric light and subtle tonal gradations that lend the scene a gentle, introspective mood. The title hints at a fleeting interruption, inviting viewers to imagine the thoughts of the young woman ...