The Gust of Wind (Le Coup de Vent)

Art Historical Context

Camille Corot, a leading figure in the Barbizon school of landscape painting, created *The Gust of Wind ( Coup de Vent)* in 1871 as a lith in its second and final state. At 76 years old, Corot renowned for his poetic, light-filled depictions of nature, blending Romantic sensitivity with emerging Impressionist tendencies. This print captures a dramatic moment in the French countryside, where a sudden gust bends slender trees and stirs the landscape into motion, evoking the transient beauty of weather's whims. Lithography, a planar printing process invented in the late 18th century, allowed Corot to translate his fluid drawing style onto stone with remarkable spontaneity. The second state likely features refined details, enhancing the image's atmospheric depth—note the image size of 8 9/16 × 11 inches on a larger sheet. Corot's mastery of tone and texture shines here, making the wind almost tangible through subtle gradations of gray. Acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1932 through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, this work exemplifies 19th-century printmaking's role in democratizing art. Visitors will appreciate how Corot's serene yet dynamic vision invites reflection on nature's quiet power, a timeless theme in his oeuvre.

About the Artist

Camille Corot · 1796–1875

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, born in Paris on July 16, 1796, into a prosperous bourgeois family—his father a former wig maker turned draper, his mother a successful milliner—initially resisted his artistic calling. After a lackluster education at the Lycée Pierre-Corneille in Rouen and failed apprenticeships in business, he abandoned commerce at age 26, thanks to a generous parental allowance foll...