Seashore at Villerville

Daubigny was perhaps one of the most important artists of the Barbizon School, which took its name from the village of Barbizon, not far from Paris. This excellent work dates from the artist's late period and unites many of his painterly achievements. Daubigny shows the small village of Villerville, on the Norman shore, on a grey, windy day, typical of northern France. In the background, to the right, is a group of trees with luxurious crowns, to the left, a low seashore overgrown with bushes, a herd of cows and peasant women walking; in the distance we see peasant cottages. The impression of depth and scale in the landscape is reinforced by the contrasting use of dark tones in the foreground and light tones in the distance.