A Lane through the Trees

1860s

An interest in photography

In the 1860s Corot became interested in photography, taking photos himself and becoming acquainted with many early photographers. The monochrome tones of photographs suppressed his palette even further, making his paintings less dramatic but somewhat more poetic.

1865–1875

“Père Corot” of Parisian artists

In his final ten years Corot became the “Père (Father) Corot” of Parisian artistic circles, regarded with personal affection and acknowledged as one of the five or six greatest landscape painters the world had seen, along with Hobbema, Claude Lorrain, Turner and Constable.

1871

The siege of Paris: a donation; the Commune, in Arras

In 1871, during the Franco-Prussian War, Corot gave 2,000 francs for the poor of Paris, then under siege by the Prussians. During the Paris Commune he was at Arras with Alfred Robaut.

1872

A house in Auvers for the blind Daumier

In 1872 Corot bought a house in Auvers as a gift for Honoré Daumier, who by then was blind, without resources and homeless.

1872 · Distinction

Knight of the Order of Leopold