Madame Stumpf and Her Daughter

Madame Stumpf and Her Daughter is an intimate oil on canvas painting created by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot in 1872. This work, executed during the period 1851 to 1875, exemplifies the refined style of the French master as he increasingly focused on figure studies late in his career. The painting captures the quiet presence of Madame Stumpf, seated next to her daughter, who is rendered gazing thoughtfully out of the frame. Corot employs his characteristic sfumato-like softness, utilizing thin, atmospheric layers of oil paint to achieve subtle tonal transitions, moving away from the strict realism popular at the time toward a more emotional and subjective rendering of his subjects.

The subtle color palette, dominated by muted browns, grays, and deep greens, contrasts with the carefully observed skin tones of the sitters. Corot’s approach to the subject matter avoids theatricality, presenting the two women in a moment of reserved contemplation. While the artist is primarily known for his luminous landscapes, Corot executed dozens of these smaller, private portraits, often depicting family members or close friends, pieces which were essential explorations of form and emotion but were rarely exhibited publicly before his death. The canvas demonstrates Corot’s mastery in translating light onto flesh and fabric without sacrificing the structural integrity of the composition.

The painting currently resides in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it serves as an important example of the figure work Corot produced following the tumult of the Franco-Prussian War. Due to its historical importance and the date of the artist's passing, high-quality images of this French masterwork are frequently released into the public domain, allowing enthusiasts access to archival prints and reproductions for study. Corot’s attention to psychological nuance in Madame Stumpf and Her Daughter places it among his finest figure works executed in the early 1870s.