Little Shepherd, 1st Plate (Le Petit Berger)

Little Shepherd, 1st Plate (Le Petit Berger) by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, created in 1855, is a significant example of the artist's exploration of non-traditional printmaking media. Classified as a print, the work employs the rare and experimental technique known as cliché-verre. This unique medium, developed and utilized primarily by French artists during the 1851 to 1875 period, is a hybrid process blending elements of photography and etching.

In the cliché-verre method, Corot drew directly onto a sensitized glass plate coated with an opaque substance, scraping away the coating to expose the glass beneath. This plate was then treated like a photographic negative, placed over light-sensitive paper, and exposed to the sun. This technique allowed Corot the spontaneity and immediacy of drawing while yielding multiple impressions, bridging the gap between unique drawing and reproducible prints.

Corot’s involvement with this medium reflects his continuous desire to capture the subtle atmospheric effects of nature, a characteristic central to his lyrical landscapes. The subject matter, a solitary shepherd figure situated within a tranquil, seemingly idealized pastoral setting, aligns perfectly with the sensibilities of mid-nineteenth-century French art, which often sought an intimate connection with rural life. Corot was influential in establishing this poetic realism.

The execution of this piece showcases the artist's masterful handling of line and tone, demonstrating how the cliché-verre process uniquely enhances the soft gradation of shadow and light, distinct from the sharper lines of traditional etchings. Today, prints originating from this period sometimes enter the public domain, ensuring broader access to these important nineteenth-century artistic experiments. This notable impression of Little Shepherd, 1st Plate is preserved within the collection of the National Gallery of Art.