Undergraduate research on the history of Barbizon by Julia Mielke
“La Plage de Villerville”
Charles François Daubigny
Charles-François Daubigny
Born February 15th, 1817 in Paris. Died February 19th, 1878 in Paris.
Charles François-Daubigny was born into a family of painters. He was taught by his father Edmond François Daubigny, and his uncle, Pierre Daubigny.
Daubigny studied the paintings of Old Masters in Italy in 1836, and then returned to Paris where he painted historical and religious works, including some traditional landscapes. Daubigny had reasonable success at the Salons between 1841 and 1845, where he exhibited graphic arts such as etchings, woodcuts, lithographs, and illustrations, which gained him the reputation of an engraver.
However, Daubigny realized his true calling was realism landscapes while backpacking and studying Italian countryside landscapes. In 1852, Daubigny had met Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, a Barbizon artist who became his life long friend. He was influenced by the rebellious Barbizon style of nontraditional landscape and working outdoors, directly from nature. Daubigny’s work began to depict intense observation of tonal values fortified with minimum compositional structure. He began to increasingly use light reflections from surfaces such as water, to give effects of space. This method was thought of as conveying a momentary impression of the landscape.
These depictions of light, land, and water became Daubigny’s obsession. He even had a famous boat called Botin, which he turned into his studio in 1857. He often worked along the Seine around Auvers-sur-Oise. With time, the Botin had to be retired due to its condition. However, in 1868 the Bottin was created. This was a larger, better equipped boat that Daubigny used and Karl, his son, was Captain of.
“Vue Prise aux Environs de Subiaco”
Charles François Daubigny
"Uncle told me Daubigny is dead. This hurt me, I'm not ashamed to admit, ... it must be a good thing, while dying, to be conscious of having done really good things, to know that, because of this we will remain alive in at least a few people's memories, and to leave a good example to those who fallow us." - Vincent Van Gogh, in a letter to Théo, 1878
“Sentier Dans Les Blés”
Charles François Daubigny
Although Daubigny didn’t end up living in Barbizon, in 1860 he bought land in Auvers to create a studio in the countryside. He had students that he taught there, and his home was thought of as a place for people to gather and work.
His concern for the accurate depiction of natural light greatly influenced many Impressionist artists of the late 19th century. Daubigny’s works and techniques influenced Claude Monet, who even tried Daubigny's practice of using a houseboat as a studio in 1873.
Working in his studio in Paris in 1878, Daubigny died of a heart attack. He was buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery, in Paris, next to Corot, his friend forever. They had said that they wanted to be buried near each other, “In order to be able to continue laughing together.”
Daubigny was primarily known for his works that helped introduce realism to the mid-19th century, and his role historically was that he helped bridge the gap between the Barbizon school and the Impressionist school.
"Temps d'Orage"
Charles François Daubigny
"Paysage-Les Bords de l'Ain"
Charles François Daubigny
