Forest of Fontainebleau

Corot frequently visited the forest of Fontainebleau, starting in the 1820s, where he painted nature as a subject rather than a backdrop, which was unusual for the time and would lead to an artistic movement known as the School of Barbizon. The acceptance of this artwork at the 1846 Salon of Paris is considered a turning point for landscape painting which was mostly overlooked if it didn't include an historical or mythological theme. It marks the recognition of nature as a legitimate subject of its own, an idea that will be notably carried by the School of Barbizon and later by impressionists. This painting is now at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.