Souvenir of Fampoux (Souvenir de Fampoux) is an intimate print created by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot in 1854. This work is a defining example of Corot's experimentation with the cliché-verre technique, a photographic-print hybrid developed by French artists and photographers in the 1850s. The technique bypassed traditional printmaking matrices, instead involving coating a glass plate with an opaque layer, drawing or scratching a detailed design through the coating, and then using the resulting negative to create a photographically sensitive print on paper. This approach allowed the artist to merge the spontaneity of drawing with the reproducibility of printmaking, yielding unique textures unattainable through etching or lithography.
Dating from the mid-19th century (1851 to 1875), this piece reflects the increasing interest among artists in exploring rural scenery through innovative techniques. While Corot is primarily known for his atmospheric, often hazy landscape paintings, his dedication to the cliché-verre method yielded a highly personal body of graphic work, often focusing on quiet landscapes and rustic views near villages. The title, referencing a specific locale-Fampoux-emphasizes the artist's focus on familiar, unidealized nature rather than classical grandeur.
The resulting print possesses a subtle, velvety tonality, distinct from traditional engraved prints. Corot utilized the contrast between the dark coating and the scratched lines to create soft, moody effects typical of his Romantic-Realist sensibility, manipulating light and shadow to define the structure of the scene. As one of the significant early practitioners of this short-lived technique, Corot ensured that his collection of these unique prints became historically important to the evolution of modern graphic arts. Souvenir of Fampoux resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. High-resolution prints of this historic artwork are often made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring widespread access to Corot's innovative graphic output.
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