Souvenir of Ostia

Souvenir of Ostia by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot French, 1796-1875, is a significant example of early experimental printmaking. Created in 1855, this work utilizes the novel technique of cliché-verre (glass negative), rendered on ivory photographic paper. This method merges traditional etching and drawing with the burgeoning technology of photography, a defining characteristic of French art during the mid-19th century. Corot, primarily known as a painter of landscapes, was one of the key practitioners who embraced this photochemical process.

The cliché-verre technique required Corot to draw directly onto a glass plate coated with collodion or an opaque substance, scratching away the material to reveal the transparent glass beneath. This plate functioned as a negative, which was then contact-printed onto sensitized photographic paper to produce a print like this one. Corot made approximately 66 prints using this method between 1853 and 1874, often exploring intimate, mood-driven scenes. The resulting prints possess a distinctive, delicate quality, blending the spontaneity of drawing with the tonal richness of early photography, distinguishing them from traditional etchings or lithographs.

Although created two decades after his second major trip to Italy, the title, Souvenir of Ostia, refers to the ancient port city near Rome, demonstrating 1796-1875’s reliance on memory and past sketches for his compositions. This particular print offers insight into the evolution of French landscape traditions, bridging Romanticism and the nascent Barbizon school aesthetic. As a celebrated example of experimental prints from the 19th century, this piece is held in the esteemed permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, making the image widely accessible for scholarly research and potential public domain use.