The Farm
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 51.4 x 81.3 cm (20 1/4 x 32 in.) framed: 79.7 x 109.5 cm (31 3/8 x 43 1/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CF
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Chester Dale Collection
Accession Number
1963.10.116
Art Historical Context
Charles-François Daubigny's *The Farm* (1855) captures the serene beauty of rural France in a masterful oil on canvas, measuring 51.4 x 81.3 cm. As a leading figure in the Barbizon School, Daubigny pioneered plein-air painting, emphasizing direct observation of nature over idealized studio compositions. This work reflects the mid-19th-century shift toward realism, where artists like him rejected Romantic exaggeration in favor of honest depictions of everyday landscapes, foreshadowing Impressionism. Painted during a period of rapid industrialization in France, *The Farm* evokes nostalgia for p...
About the Artist
Charles-François Daubigny · 1817–1878
Charles-François Daubigny was born on February 15, 1817, in Paris into a family of artists, with his father, Edmé-François Daubigny, a classical landscape painter, and his uncle, Pierre Daubigny, a miniaturist, providing his initial artistic training. He further studied under Jean-Victor Bertin, Jacques Raymond Brascassat, and Paul Delaroche at the École des Beaux-Arts, though he quickly moved bey...