Reading Beneath the Trees

Reading Beneath the Trees by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot French, 1796-1875, is a significant example of the artist's late graphic output, created just a year before his death in 1875. Classified as a print, this work demonstrates Corot’s mature handling of black-and-white tonality through the exacting medium of lithography.

The technical classification details that this image is a transfer lithograph, printed meticulously in black ink on light gray China paper, which was subsequently laid down onto a white wove paper support. This intricate process allowed 1796-1875 to transfer a drawing directly onto the lithographic stone, retaining the spontaneous quality of a sketch while enabling precise reproduction of his delicate forms. The composition itself captures a characteristic quietude found in Corot's oeuvre: a lone figure engaged in reading, sheltered beneath a dense, lyrical grouping of trees. Corot utilizes the lithographic crayon to achieve subtle transitions of light filtering through the foliage, contrasting the dark masses of the trees with the bright paper used for the sky and the open area surrounding the reader.

Completed in 1874, this image reflects the enduring influence of the French landscape tradition, blending Romantic lyricism with a precise, almost melancholic observation of nature. This piece, along with Corot's other exceptional prints, represents a highly valued portion of the artist's production in his later years. This beautiful example of nineteenth-century France culture is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Because of the age and enduring artistic merit of the work, high-quality images of Reading Beneath the Trees are widely circulated in the public domain for scholarly research and appreciation.