The Woodcutter

The Woodcutter by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (French, 1796-1875), created in 1856, is a significant example of early photographic printmaking. This work utilizes the unique cliché-verre technique, a hybrid process combining the graphic nature of drawing with the chemistry of photography. To create the image, Corot would scratch or paint a design onto a light-sensitive glass plate (the cliché) which was then used like a photographic negative to expose the specialized paper. The resulting image, printed here on ivory photographic paper, retains the spontaneous line quality of a sketch while achieving the tonal precision characteristic of early photography.

Corot was a key figure in the mid-19th century French art scene. While known primarily for his lyrical, atmospheric oil paintings of natural settings, the artist frequently explored rustic subjects and rural laborers in his prints, reflecting the growing Realist tendencies in France at the time. This piece, classified as a print, showcases his distinctive approach to light and shadow, relying on the contrast inherent in the photographic process to define the solitary figure of the woodcutter.

The medium of cliché-verre allowed Corot to expand his practice beyond traditional etching and lithography, effectively bridging the gap between drawing and early mechanical reproduction. He was instrumental in popularizing this medium among his contemporaries. This important print is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a valuable record of nineteenth-century experimentation in graphic media, with the image often made available to the public through digital and public domain initiatives.