The Classicists.—The English taste for art showed itself aristocratic and luxurious and did not welcome the innovations of Constable's tendency toward realism, the joy of seeing com monplace things made interesting. A cold austere revival of classicism in France, fostered by Napoleon, had caused French art to lose its animation so that Constable's exhibition of breezy landscapes moist with dew and suggestive of real out-of-doors threw the French painters into a fever pitch of excitement. Painters old and young felt a new enthusiasm for their art, and its development was such that France won and held the position of leadership in art throughout the 19th century.
Delacroix, Deschamps and Counture drew and painted excel lently from nature, but are not fine landscapists. Courbet turned to lands*cape after he had failed as an historical painter and after he was exiled to Switzerland. He was defiantly realistic, the very antithesis of David, "The Father of French Classicism." Courbet was famous for his hunting scenes. Occasionally he would paint a single tree with unrivalled mastery, or delight one with simple bits of painting in his native mountains of Jura. His "Wave" is his most famous painting.
Corot (1796-1875), who had a natural bent for the presentation of sunlight and air, acquired a sense of ancient poetry and mythology which he showed in his pictures. His early work, fresh in tone. full of movement and intimate in feeling is being rediscovered, after some neglect. It was Corot's later period of work that became so popular. The simplest paths, the quiet streams and misty distance composed in delicate tones and values afforded him ample material for subject matter.
Rousseau ( I812-67) loved the forest of Fontainebleau and was more alone with nature than Constable was. Often there was no sign of man in his landscapes, only untamed nature teeming with living energy. He had an extraordinary knowledge of earth and everything that grew upon it.
Millet (1814-75), an intimate friend of Rousseau, was equally serious-minded. One must appreciate the man to appreciate his work. Through his deep and powerful sympathy for the hard and melancholy life of the French peasants that silhouette his landscapes, he fails to rank as a landscape painter in the pure sense, except in his famous "Spring," now in the Louvre, which is one of the world's greatest landscapes.
Diaz (18o9-76), of Spanish origin, loved the brightness of nature. Dupre loved the movement of nature between light and gloom, wind and rain. Daubigny (1817-78) worked on a house boat that was his studio and home. From it he observed with intimacy the last glow of evening and the rising sun mists. For him the green earth was earthly and very lovely. His best works are in Mesdag museum in The Hague. Troyon (1810-65) used the earth as the home of cattle, as Millet used it as the home of the peasant.
Sisley (183o-1899) was prominent among the Impressionists doing rural scenes and commonplace subjects with a personal and lovely vision. There was tranquillity and happiness in all he saw around him. The followers of Impressionism are numerous, and the movement affected the art of other countries, notably as in the work of George Clausen, Spencer Gore, Sickert and Gilman of England and Emile Claus and La Sidaner of Belgium. Degas (1834-19i7) and Manet did few but very important landscapes. Degas painted with a keen intelligence and his race courses are admired for their restraint.