Corot's Studio: Woman Seated Before an Easel, a Mandolin in her Hand

c. 1868

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

Artist, French, 1796 - 1875

A young, pale-skinned woman sits with her back to us as she looks at a painting on an easel in a studio in this vertical painting. She sits in a ladder-back wood chair so her knees angle away from us, toward the back right corner of the studio. We look onto the side of her right cheek as she leans forward. Her brown hair is combed back and twisted into a bun wrapped with a raspberry-red ribbon that trails down her back. Touches of pearl white, pale pink, and silvery gray suggest flowers by the ear we can see. A cream-white chemise falls off the shoulder closer to us, under a grass-green bodice. She holds a mandolin down by her right side, which is closer to us, to nestle in the folds of her voluminous, olive-green skirt. She reaches forward with her other hand to touch the lower left corner of the painting resting on the easel. That vertically-oriented scene is loosely painted and shows a few people gathered in a landscape. A white and black dog stands with one front leg lifted to the left of the woman's chair, looking at her. The wall opposite us is parchment white over a strip of molding, like a high chair rail, and muted mauve pink below. An L-shaped pipe leads to an iron stove to our left of center. A narrow shelf tucked into the L of the pipe holds three hand-sized sculptures or casts. Small paintings and plaster casts hang around it on the wall above the molding. The artist signed the painting in the lower right: “COROT.”

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on wood

  • Credit Line

    Widener Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 61.8 x 40 cm (24 5/16 x 15 3/4 in.)
    framed: 78.4 x 56.5 cm (30 7/8 x 22 1/4 in.)

  • Accession

    1942.9.11

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

The artist [1796-1875]; (his sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 26 May 1875, no. 134); purchased by (Hector Brame, Paris). Jules Paton, Paris;[1] (his sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 24 April 1883, no. 35); purchased by (Bernheim-Jeune, Paris), in whose possession it remained until at least 1889.[2] Duz.[3] Van den Eynde.[4] (Durand-Ruel et Cie, Paris); sold 1892 to Peter A.B. Widener, Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania;[5] inheritance from Estate of Peter A.B. Widener by gift through power of appointment of Joseph E. Widener, Elkins Park; gift 1942 to NGA.
[1] Alfred Robaut, L'oeuvre de Corot, Paris, 1905: III: 112, no. 1558.
[2] Annotated copy of Paton sale catalogue in M. Knoedler library. Lent by Bernheim-Jeune to Exposition centennale de l'art français, Exposition universelle, Paris, 1889, no. 163.
[3] According to notes by Edith Standen, in NGA curatorial files.
[4] According to notes by Edith Standen, in NGA curatorial files.
[5] According to notes by Edith Standen, in NGA curatorial files, and repeated in the Widener collection catalogues of 1915 and 1923.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1889

  • Exposition centennale de l'art français, Exposition universelle, Paris, 1889, no. 163.

1996

  • Corot, Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1996-1997, no. 136, as L'Atelier de Corot (The Artist's Studio) (shown only in Ottawa and New York).

2012

  • Camille Corot: Natur und Traum [Camille Corot: Nature and Dream], Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, 2012-2013, no. 118, repro.

2013

  • Intimate Impressionism from the National Gallery of Art, Museo dell'Ara Pacis Augustae, Rome (exhibition title in this venue: Impressionist Gems); California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco; McNay Art Museum, San Antonio; Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo, Seattle Art Museum, 2013-2016, pl. 33.

2016

  • Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870) and The Birth of Impressionism, Musée Fabre, Montpelier; Musée d'Orsay, Paris; National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2016-2017, no. 91, repro.

2018

  • Corot: Women, Musee Marmottan Monet, Paris; National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2018, no. 40, repro.

Bibliography

1885

  • Catalogue of Paintings Forming the Collection of P.A.B. Widener, Ashbourne, near Philadelphia. 2 vols. Paris, 1885-1900: 1 (1885):14, repro.

1892

  • "Inventory of Paintings. P.A.B. Widener." Manuscript, Gallery Archives, National Gallery of Art, 1892: no. 8, as La Femme à l'atelier.

1895

  • Roger-Milès, L. Les artistes célèbres 32: Album classique des chefs-d'oeuvre de Corot. Paris, 1895: 58.

1905

  • Meier-Graefe, Julius. Corot and Courbet. Leipzig, 1905: 84.

  • Robaut, Alfred, and Etienne Moreau-Nélaton. L'Oeuvre de Corot. Catalogue raisonné et illustré. 5 vols. Paris, 1905: 3:112-113, no. 1558, repro., as L'Atelier de Corot.

1907

  • "Corot, Peintre de la Femme." L'Art et les Artistes (January 1907): 364, repro.

1908

  • Meier-Graefe, Julius. Modern Art. 5 vols. London, 1908:184.

  • Lafarge, John. The Higher Life in Art. New York, 1908: unpaginated, repro.

1909

  • Bouyer, Raymond. "Corot peintre de figures." Revue de l'Art Ancien et Moderne 2 (1909): 305-306.

  • Goujon, R. "Corot peintre de figures." Gazette des Beaux-Arts (1909): 472-473.

1910

  • Waldmann, Emil."Französische Bilder in amerikansichen Privatbesitz." Kunst und Künstler (November 1910): 95, repro.

1913

  • Jaccaci, A.F. "Figure Pieces of Corot in America, part I." Art in America 1, no. 2 (April 1913): 90.

  • Meier-Graefe, Julius. Camille Corot. Munich, 1913: 104-108, repro. p. 133.

1915

  • Roberts, William. Pictures in the Collection of P.A.B. Widener at Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania: British and Modern French Schools, Philadelphia, 1915: unpaginated, repro.

1923

  • Paintings in the Collection of Joseph Widener at Lynnewood Hall. Intro. by Wilhelm R. Valentiner. Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, 1923: unpaginated, repro.

1929

  • Jamot, Paul. Corot. Paris, 1929: 35.

1930

  • Meier-Graefe, Julius. Corot. Berlin, 1930: pl. CIV.

  • Bernheim de Villers, C. Corot, peintre de figures. Paris, 1930: no. 253.

1931

  • Paintings in the Collection of Joseph Widener at Lynnewood Hall. Intro. by Wilhelm R. Valentiner. Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, 1931: 202, repro.

1934

  • "A Splendid Corot for Smith." The New York Times (14 October 1934).

  • Alexandre Reid & Lefevre, Ltd. Renoir, Cézanne and their contemporaries. London, 1934: no. 12.

  • Fell, H.G. "Gallery and Mart." The Connoisseur 94, no. 395 (July 1934): 58, repro., as L'Atelier.

1935

  • Inventory of the Objects d'Art at Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, The Estate of the Late P.A.B. Widener. Philadelphia, 1935: 28.

  • Tietze, Hans. Meisterwerke europäischer Malerei in Amerika. Vienna, 1935: 278, repro. (English ed., Masterpieces of European Painting in America. New York, 1939: 278, repro.).

1937

  • Cheney, Sheldon. A World History of Art. New York, 1937: 816, repro., as In the Studio.

  • Rosen, David and Henri Marceau. "A Study in the use of photographs in the Identification of Paintings." Technical Studies in the Field of Fine Arts VI, no. 2 (October 1937): 80.

1938

  • Adlow, Dorothy. "The Artist Backstage." The Christian Science Monitor, 13 January 1938.

  • Brimo, René. Art et gout. L'évolution du gout aux Etats Unis d'après l'histoire des collections. Paris, 1938: 116.

  • Waldmann, Emil. "Die Sammlung Widener." Pantheon 22 (November 1938): 335, repro. 343.

1942

  • Bazin, Germain. Corot. Paris, 1942: 122, no. 103.

1946

  • Courthion, Pierre. Corot, raconté par lui-même et par ses amis. Geneva, 1946: 100-101.

1948

  • Paintings and Sculpture from the Widener Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1948 (reprinted 1959): 102, repro.

1951

  • Bazin, Germain. Corot. Paris, 1951: 112, 132.

1955

  • Cooke, Hereward Lester. Galeria Nacional de Washington. Madrid, 1955: 321, repro. (German ed., 1971).

1956

  • Cheney, Sheldon. A New World History of Art. New York, 1956: 566, repro.

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. New York, 1956: 52, repro.

1957

  • Baud-Bovy, Daniel. Corot. Geneva, 1957: 129, 276 n. 74.

1962

  • Leymarie, Jean. French Painting: The Nineteenth Century. Geneva, 1962: 112.

1963

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. New York, 1963 (reprinted 1964 in French, German, and Spanish): 323, repro.

1965

  • Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 29.

1968

  • National Gallery of Art. European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. Washington, 1968: 23, repro.

1972

  • Hours, Madeleine. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. New York, 1972: 41, fig. 42.

1973

  • Bazin, Germain. Corot. Paris, 1973: 61, 271, 290-291.

1975

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 74, repro.

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. New York, 1975: 432-433, no. 622, color repro.

  • Toussaint, Hélène. Hommage à Corot. Exh. cat. Orangerie des Tuileries, Paris, 1975: 124, no. 111.

1978

  • Janson, Anthony F. "Corot: Tradition and the Muse." The Art Quarterly 1 (Autumn 1978): 314, repro.

  • King, Marian. Adventures in Art: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. New York, 1978: 41, 51, pl. 28.

1979

  • Parry, Ellwood. "The Thomas Eakins Portrait of Sue and Harry; or why did the artist change his mind?" Arts (May 1979): 148, repro.

  • Leymarie, Jean. Corot. Geneva, 1979: 140, repro.

1982

  • Georgel, Pierre and Anne Marie Lecoq. La Peinture dans la peinture. Dijon, 1982: 185, 241.

1984

  • Hours, Madeleine. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. New York, 1984: 37, fig. 38.

  • Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 428, no. 610, color repro.

1985

  • European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 94, repro.

1986

  • Zimmermann, Antje. "Studien zum Figurenbild bei Corot." Ph.D. dissertation, Cologne, 1986: 112-146, 215, 220, fig. 125.

1987

  • Eitner, Lorenz. An Outline of 19th Century European Painting, from David through Cézanne. 2 vols. New York, 1987-1988: I:210; II:117, fig. 202.

1988

  • Selz, Jean. La vie et l'oeuvre de Camille Corot. Courbevoie-Paris, 1988: 240.

1989

  • Wissman, Fronia. "Corot's Salon Paintings: Sources from French Classicism to Contemporary Theater Design." Ph.D. dissertation, Yale University, New Haven. Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1989: 110.

1992

  • Leymarie, Jean. Corot. Geneva, 1992: 158-160.

1993

  • Pomarède, Vincent. In Exposition du bicentenaire du Musée du Louvre: Les Peintures du Louvre. Des collections royales au Grand Louvre. Exh. cat. Municipal Museum, Kobe; Municipal Museum, Yokohama, 1993: 313, repro.

1994

  • Gale, Iain. Corot. London, 1994: 104-105, repro.

1995

  • Leymarie, Jean. Corot. Geneva, 1995: 158-160.

2000

  • Eitner, Lorenz. French Paintings of the Nineteenth Century, Part I: Before Impressionism. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 2000: 68-75, color repro.

2004

  • Hand, John Oliver. National Gallery of Art: Master Paintings from the Collection. Washington and New York, 2004: 357, no. 292, color repro.

Inscriptions

lower right: COROT

Wikidata ID

Q18178018

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