Remembrance of Italy

Remembrance of Italy is an evocative print created in 1866 by the celebrated French artist, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875). Classified as a print, this piece utilizes the subtle yet powerful medium of etching, executed upon delicate cream Japanese paper. This choice of paper, favored by artists of the period for its absorbency and subtle color, enhances the soft, atmospheric quality characteristic of Corot's later work. The etching technique allowed the artist to achieve a nuanced interplay of light and shadow, defining essential forms through delicate linear work rather than relying on mass and color.

Although created decades after his initial trips, the title explicitly refers back to Corot's formative experiences in Italy during the 1820s, which profoundly influenced his approach to landscape painting. By 1866, Corot had established himself as a master of the classical-pastoral style, bridging the traditions of Neoclassicism with the emerging interests of the Barbizon school in naturalism. This etching serves not as a direct topographical study but as a poetic synthesis of remembered scenes, often featuring solitary, classically robed figures within lush, generalized landscapes.

Corot frequently explored the melancholic beauty of the French countryside, yet works like this one ground his vision in the enduring influence of Mediterranean structure and light. He produced a significant number of these intimate prints throughout his long career, often reworking similar themes across different media. This essential example of 19th-century French graphic arts is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a masterwork of this period, high-resolution images of many of Corot’s works are now available via public domain initiatives, providing wide access to these masterly prints.