Interrupted Reading

c. 1870

Corot rarely exhibited his late figure paintings like this compelling example, focusing instead on his idyllic landscapes. While here he chose a traditional subject—the muse-like image of a woman reading a book—Corot showed his model pausing and looking up. He also used unconventionally bold brushwork while still delighting in detail—the ribbon in the model’s hair, the delicate earrings, and the deep folds in the skirt.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (French, 1796–1875)

Date

c. 1870

Medium

Oil on canvas, mounted on board

Dimensions

92.5 × 65.1 cm (36 5/16 × 25 5/8 in.); Framed: 130.9 × 104.2 × 14 cm (51 1/2 × 41 × 5 1/2 in.)

Origin

France

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Potter Palmer Collection