Wagon Going to Town (Le Charriot allant a la ville)

Wagon Going to Town (Le Charriot allant a la ville) is a nuanced print created by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot in 1860. This intimate piece is technically significant because it utilizes the experimental photographic printmaking technique known as cliché-verre. Rather than relying solely on traditional etching or lithography, the cliché-verre process involves drawing or scratching an image onto a glass plate coated with an opaque varnish. This prepared plate is then used like a large negative, printed onto light-sensitive paper. Corot was a crucial figure in the brief flourishing of this hybrid medium during the mid-19th century, recognizing its potential to combine the spontaneity of drawing with the reproducibility of photography.

The work depicts a simple, solitary wagon moving across a subtly illuminated French landscape. Corot masterfully exploits the unique characteristics of the cliché-verre, utilizing the etched lines to capture the diffuse, atmospheric effects and gentle gradations of light characteristic of his naturalistic approach. Created during the period spanning 1851 to 1875, this print reflects the prevalent shift in French art toward direct, observational engagement with nature, maintaining close ties to the Barbizon School’s appreciation for rural life while paving the way for later Impressionistic interests in light and atmosphere.

The classification of this piece as a print confirms Corot’s dedicated, though often overlooked, involvement in graphic arts alongside his celebrated oil canvases. These smaller, immediate prints offer a direct connection to Corot's observational skill. The work resides in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. The availability of such high-quality prints and documentation ensures that Corot’s technical innovations are preserved, often supported by resources provided through public domain art collections.