Camille Corot

French painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875) was a pivotal figure bridging Neo-Classicism and Impressionism. His plein air innovations and mastery of tonal relationships influenced generations of landscape painters. Claude Monet declared in 1897: "There is only one master here - Corot. We are nothing compared to him." His "Souvenirs," imagined landscapes composed of standardized motifs, became his later signature. He produced over 3,000 works in his lifetime.

Son of successful Parisian shopkeepers, Corot worked as a draper until age 26 when his father allowed him to pursue art with a yearly allowance. He studied under Neoclassical landscape painters Achille-Etna Michallon and Jean-Victor Bertin. Three trips to Italy proved foundational, with his Italian sketches influencing his entire career. He became a leading figure of the Barbizon School, befriending Rousseau, Millet, and Daubigny. Corot taught Berthe Morisot and mentored Pissarro. Degas preferred his figures to his landscapes. The Louvre holds major works including Souvenir de Mortefontaine, while paintings appear in the Metropolitan Museum and National Gallery.