The Barbizon School & the Origins of Impressionism

The artists of the Barbizon School were a group of landscape painters of the mid-19th century; they came to the village of Barbizon (just outside Paris) to paint from nature in the open air, far from the pressures of city life. Many of the feature that we associate with Impressionist painting - painting from life and impulsive brushwork amongst others - are also found in Barbizon works. Adams attempts to redress the historical balance and examines lanscape painting in the 50 years before the term "Impresioniste" was first heard in Paris. The work of Barbizon artists is set against the tumultuous political crises that overcame France during the first ahlf of the 19th century.