4. Daubigny, "Spring," 1857

01/12/16 • 1 min

On a diagonal path alongside an orchard of flowering apple trees, a young woman rides a donkey. Behind her walk two young lovers, their heads barely visible above the fields of new grain. The scene evokes spring, with its fragrance, bursting growth, and romance. Surprisingly, this was not a common subject for painters at the time.

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5. Daubigny, "At the Water’s Edge, Optevoz," about 1856

Daubigny traveled extensively to paint France’s many landscapes. Here, he captures the appearance of a still pond in the hills above the Rhône Valley.

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3. Daubigny, "The Harvest," 1851

In about 1851, Daubigny painted this view of peasants harvesting grain in the fields just northeast of Paris. He wanted to capture the diffuse sunlight shimmering through the hazy atmosphere on a hot summer day in central France.