Farmyard

ca. 1840 - 50

French, 1811-1899

Like many of the artists of the Barbizon School, Dupré painted landscapes celebrating the glories of the French countryside, which he experienced sensuously as a plein-air painter. But in less romantic works he delved deeper into true rural life, painting the impoverishment that overwhelmed many farmers in the 19th century. The figures in this unkempt farmyard seem paralyzed by a sense of futility. Dupré occupies a place between the Romantics and the Realists; here he seems to suggest that in eking out a life for themselves, human beings have sullied the natural resources that can be glimpsed through the gate.

Oil on canvas

14 15/16 x 17 15/16 in. (38 x 45.5 cm)

Margaret E. Fuller Purchase Fund

70.35

Not currently on view

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