Bacchante by the Sea
1865
Corot invites us to a seaside nap in this 1865 masterpiece, where a nude woman reclines comfortably on a leopard skin rug. You can see why the Impressionists worshipped him; those loose, airy brushstrokes in the background feel like a gentle ocean breeze. He takes the classical myth of a bacchante—a follower of the wine god Bacchus—and makes her feel incredibly real, as if she's just passed out after a wild party rather than posing for a stiff portrait.
- Technique
- Oil painting