Pond at Ville-d'Avraylate 1860s · Study 1944.80

Context from the museum

Corot painted this view of a pond near his home at Ville-d'Avray, just west of Paris, in his late style distinguished by soft, hazy forms and gentle, silvery light. Such paintings merge his lifelong study of nature with nostalgic memories and contrast sharply with the more formal compositions and precisely rendered shapes of his early landscapes. Corot's devotion to the direct study of nature was a major influence on the Impressionists.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

The dreamlike quality of the painting reflects Corot’s desire to reproduce the “first Impression” of the landscape.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Pond at Ville-d'Avray is 99.4 cm wide and 58.1 cm high, equivalent to approximately 39.1 × 22.9 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.71:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.58 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 33.1% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 100.3 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Pond at Ville-d'Avray in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on fabric, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 99.4 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?