28 - Théodore ROUSSEAU (1812–1867)

Théodore ROUSSEAU (1812–1867) The Pond, Oak, and Birch Trees in the Forest of Fontainebleau Oil on panel 44 x 60 cm Signed TH. ROUSSEAU lower left Circa 1850–1860 In a letter dated 1851, Jean-François Millet (1814–1875) speaks of Théodore Rousseau and his fascination with the forest: “He is there like a sailor at sea. On the Bellecroix plateau, for hours on end, motionless on a rock like a captain on his quarterdeck, he seems to be standing watch. He does not paint; he contemplates, allowing his beloved trees to slowly and deeply penetrate his soul.” The artist, both realist and romantic, revolutionized landscape painting in the mid-19th century and was a precursor to Impressionism. He single-handedly demonstrated the vitality of the landscape school in the mid-19th century, sparking fierce debates that took on political and even—already—ecological dimensions. The Forest of Fontainebleau serves as the setting for the artist’s plein air workshop, in which trees and nature are the main subjects, while human figures are kept to a minimum. A certificate of authenticity dated July 15, 2023, issued by Mr. Michel Rodrigue, an expert on the Barbizon School and 19th-century painting and a member of the Union Française des Experts, will be provided to the buyer. Related works: A Pond, 1855, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York The Pond of Vipers, Fontainebleau Forest, circa 1856–1857, page 111 of the book by R. and P. Miquel Land, Trees, and Sky, circa 1853–1855, known as Path Among the Heather, reproduced on page 129 of the book by R. and P. Miquel No. 412 in M. Schulman’s catalogue raisonné No. 430 in M. Schulman’s catalog raisonné, “Pond in the Plain” No. 485 in M. Schulman’s catalog raisonné, “The Pond at Dagnan on the Bellecroix Plateau”