A Young Mother at the Entrance of a Wood

A Young Mother at the Entrance of a Wood by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot is an intimate and technically innovative work produced utilizing the specialized medium of cliché-verre. This printmaking technique, developed in France in the 1850s, involves coating a glass plate with an opaque substance, through which the artist draws or scratches a design using a stylus. The plate is then exposed to light and printed onto sensitized paper, combining the spontaneity of drawing with the tonal qualities of early photography.

Corot, a leading figure in the Barbizon School, was among the primary exponents of cliché-verre, executing sixty-six plates in the medium. This particular composition focuses on a central subject, placing a mother and child within a contemplative natural setting. The soft rendering and diffusion of light, characteristics enhanced by the unique printing process, emphasize the quiet introspection of the scene, a common motif in Corot’s figure studies. The mother stands at the threshold of a dark wood, suggesting a moment of pause or transition, skillfully framed by the artist's deliberate use of light and shadow.

Although Jean Baptiste Camille Corot passed away in 1875, this impression of the work dates to 1921, indicating its printing as part of a posthumous portfolio intended to circulate the master’s graphic art legacy. The long-term accessibility of Corot’s vast output, including these important prints, ensures that his influence remains widespread, benefiting those accessing public domain collections today. This piece resides within the distinguished collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, serving as a testament to the artist’s mastery not only in painting but also in bridging the traditional arts with emerging photographic technologies in nineteenth-century France.