La machine hydraulique

1860s

His technique influences the future Impressionists

Daubigny's impasto in the lights, translucent glazes in the shadows and small separate strokes, which earned him both praise and harsh criticism, influenced the future Impressionists in the 1860s. Like them, he cared little for crisp contours and favoured a broad manner.

1861

Gautier faults him for sketchiness

Reviewing the Paris Salon in 1861, Théophile Gautier ironically lamented that Daubigny was content with a first impression and neglected detail, so that his pictures were no more than sketches. The critic urged him to abandon this manner as soon as possible.

1862

Experiments with cliché-verre alongside Corot

Together with Camille Corot, Daubigny experimented with the cliché-verre technique, a process halfway between photography and printmaking; he became one of its main practitioners.

1862

The etching album “Voyage en Bateau”

Daubigny published Voyage en Bateau, a series of 19 etchings (including the title page) depicting his life on and along the water in his floating studio, with his son Karl as “cabin boy”.

1864

Among the first exhibitors of the Société nationale des beaux-arts

In 1864 Daubigny was one of the first exhibitors at the salon of the Société nationale des beaux-arts.

1864–1874

A decade of his finest pictures: forests and lakes

Daubigny's best-known paintings date from 1864 to 1874 and depict mostly forests and lakes. He was disappointed that the works he considered his finest were not understood by his contemporaries, yet by the end of his life he remained a sought-after and esteemed artist.